Monster
by Upir
Summary: Lyanne Brooks was never normal, but when an experiment goes awry her world is shattered - at least until Fury shows up with a very tempting offer. Join the Avengers. But what she doesn't know is that her first mission will also be her most conflicting, and the battle she faces could be overwhelming. LokixOC, accurate characters, no Sue, T for Language and Mild Sensuality, COMPLETE
1. What is happening?

Lyanne looked at her hands. Or, rather, what had formerly been her hands. Now, her normally thin, gentle fingers had been replaced with monstrous versions of themselves - they were longer, crueler, and tipped with savage claws. She went to clutch her mouth in horror but found it had extended into a snout filled with long, sharp teeth. Her scream came out as a howl and she collapsed onto the ground, her long purple hair flowing down and shielding her face from the sun streaming in through the window.

_What is happening to me?_


	2. I suggest you take it

Nick Fury sat in a large, soft chair at the head of the table. The table was cold and dark, and hard as his face. His one good eye peered up at the girl sitting across from him. She was young; it was painfully obvious. The meek, slouching posture, nervous leg twitching - she was very far from her comfort zone. Fury sighed and ran his dark fingers across his sweaty brow. He wasn't sure what to make of the situation - she had potential, of that he was certain. But how much potential? Would it be enough to overshadow the prospect of her being a very large liability as of this moment? He studied her more, furrowing his brow and gritting his teeth. She raised her eyebrows but said nothing. Fury finally broke the silence.

"Lyanne Brooks."

She merely continued to stare back at him, head lowered, expectant. He continued.

"You've made quite a name for yourself," Fury said evenly, but Lyanne could hear the tenseness in his voice. He picked up a clean, freshly printed file with her name on it, and several photographs. Most were of her as human, rather plain-looking with her long dark hair and deep brown eyes. The others, well - the others she still wasn't sure about.

"I didn't mean to hurt anybody," she said pleadingly.

"No, but you did."

She sighed and looked down at her fingers again. When would the claws reappear? Who would she hurt this time? Would she ever learn to control it?

"I can understand how you're feeling right now," he said.

She looked up and made eye contact, a somewhat disbelieving expression on her face.

"Oh, I do," he countered. "You're not the only one's who's left a trail of destruction behind them. Most of the things you went through weren't even all that noticeable. Broken home, several petty crimes, a couple of fistfights. Nothing that would really show up on anyone's radar, though. Until recently, that is. You have no idea the amount of attention you have suddenly attracted to yourself - and not very good attention, either."

She suddenly began to cry. It was soft and quiet, but Fury reacted as though she had screamed across the table at him. Fury having seen her transformation into a beast firsthand and hardly reacting was strange enough, but seeing him awkwardly and angrily shoving a box of tissues in her direction was unreal. She took one and smeared it across her cheeks so hard it burned. She hated appearing weak. But she would do anything at this point not to experience what she felt they had in store for her.

"I think you've got some issues you need to work on. But I also think that you're capable of doing so. You've caused enough property damage to keep a hundred tradesmen in business for a year - I'd like to see you channel that into something more _con_structive, not _de_structive."

She nodded. Anything they wanted her to comply to, within reason, she would. Whatever they asked. Prison, menial labor, office work, whatever they needed. She had told him that, begging for him to let her go, but her captors had kept their silence until now. She hadn't been mistreated in the slightest - regular food, water, some books, TV - they only restricted her from leaving the cell in which they had placed her, which still wasn't bad. She had a queen-sized bed with warm sheets and several thick pillows. Lyanne couldn't remember ever having slept better in her life. But she knew that this wasn't merely a social call - she had caused millions of dollars in damages, not to mention scared the residents of her last town half to death. She half-smiled as a show of good faith.

_Whatever will be, will be,_ she reminded herself. When things got terrible or out-of-hand for her, when things looked at their worst and the smallest ray of sunshine was seemingly millions of miles beyond her reach, she merely reminded herself that no matter what, she would continue. No matter what tortures or horrors came her way, she would remain with her feet planted on the ground, weathering the storm of pain and misfortune that always seemed to follow her around.

"I'd like to make you an offer, Miss Brooks. And I sincerely suggest you take it."


	3. To SHIELD

Tony picked up his phone and glanced quickly at the picture on the screen. Fury. He opened it and put on his best smile, if only to benefit himself.

"What's up, Cyclops? You need me to save Earth again? Damsel in distress? Some coffee?"

"No, Stark. I've got a much bigger problem than caffeine withdrawal. I've got someone down here I think you'd be very interested to meet."

Tony's curiosity was piqued.

"Don't play with me here. Who is it?"

"Oh, you don't know her. Not yet. But I think you definitely want to see her."

"When?"

"Now is good."

Suddenly the door to his workshop opened up and a gorgeous redhead with a wicked smile walked in. Ordinarily this sight would be welcome - but Tony knew who this woman was, and why she was here.

"Mr. Stark? Come with me please."

Tony hung up the phone, sighed, and followed Agent Romanoff onto the roof and into the helicopter where Agent Barton waited patiently at the controls. Tony knew they'd be flying to SHIELD headquarters, but what he didn't know until he was aboard was that he was not the first passenger to be picked up.

Bruce Banner nodded at him nervously from a seat in the corner. Steve Rogers, noble as ever, sat properly buckled in a seat next to the window, calmly sipping some water. Almost the entire team in one small aircraft; only one person was missing.

"Where's Schwarzenhammer? Not quite a team if you're missing a god."

"He's unreachable in Asgard at the moment. Something about how he can't get a cell signal there?" Widow replied with smirk.

"How's his shithead brother?"

"Unknown."

There was a brief silence as they all recollected the events of only two months before. Thor's adopted brother Loki inviting catastrophe to New York City and the world, his defeat and capture, the unknown outcome of his trial in Asgard. Everyone was concerned; no communications for two months was not a good sign. Tony hoped that maybe they just couldn't expend the time or energy. Maybe the trial ended badly. Maybe things were so good in Asgard now that Thor had forgotten about Earth.

_I wish,_ thought Tony. _If only._


	4. The Circle of Chairs

"So who's the skirt?" Tony snapped abruptly. He didn't like the look of the girl - she seemed young, jumpy, and angry. Not a good combination; he of all people should know.

"Team, I'd like you all to meet Lyanne Brooks. She's going to be your new best friend here."

They nodded greetings or shook hands. Banner seemed the most interested - fascinated, _excited,_ almost. Had Fury told him something about the girl beforehand?

"I want you all to treat her with the utmost respect while she is here. Better than you'd treat your own mothers. And I mean this - Tony, I'm watching you, you drop one nasty word and…"

"Yeah yeah, settle down, Fluffy. Don't get your patch strings in a bind."

Nick Fury raised his hands as a sign to back down.

"Just go easy on her, Stark, is all I'm asking." Fury left the room quickly. Now it was just Stark, Banner, Rogers, and Agents Romanoff and Barton left with the girl.

Tony looked over at her. She seemed irritated by the protection Fury was requesting for her. He couldn't be sure, but her eyes seemed to blaze like gold in the light, and then suddenly the gleam vanished as quickly as a candle being extinguished. Tony reminded himself that he really should be careful - he didn't know why this girl was here, but for Fury to have requested the Avengers team here meant it was something big.

The small room in SHIELD headquarters was one that was obviously never in use - the chairs were stacked neatly against the steel wall, two of them still wrapped in their plastic packaging. The lone table in the room, shiny and new, had a few bottles of water laid upon it. They were warm. Tony sighed and examined the girl. Her long brown hair was messy, her t-shirt and shorts were old and ratty. She didn't look like anything special. As she caught his eye, Lyanne flushed and looked at her feet, folding her arms across herself protectively.

"So, what are you in for, sweet cheeks?"

"Don't call me that," she whispered.

"Fine… Lyanne, was it? What'd you do to end up with Earth's Mightiest Heroes? Rob a bank? Blow one up? Kill a god?"

Bruce huffed and took Tony aside.

"Fury asked us to go easy on her," he reminded him.

"What do you know, Banner? What's her story? You know something the rest of us don't?"

"Yes. And no. Just be careful."

His cryptic warning just made Tony Stark more irritated. Special treatment for some random girl and he wasn't even allowed to know why. He shrugged as if it didn't bother him, but circled around her like a shark, examining her, making a comment here and there.

"Let's see, kinda skinny, unkempt hair, your nails are chewed - drug addict?"

Lyanne shook her head.

"Nah, they wouldn't bring you in for anything petty like that. Did you do something good or bad?"

"Bad," she whispered, after a moment's hesitation.

"You kill somebody?" he asked in a low voice. Everyone froze. Lyanne shook her head and looked away again.

"Well I give up. What does Fury want us to do here anyway?"

"Just get to know her," Rogers finally chipped in, as he began to set up the chairs in a lazy circle. Barton and Romanoff were merely watching the whole scene, as usual. Government agents weren't usually the social type. Rogers continued.

"I'm Steve Rogers, ma'am, I'm pleased to make your acquaintance." He held out his hand for her. She smiled and shook it.

"Lyanne Brooks. But you already knew that."

He smiled and nodded, taking a seat. Lyanne sat next to him slowly. Tony and Banner took opposing seats in the small, scattered circle of chairs they had set up. The agents took their own seats quietly, nudging them closer to each other ever so slightly.

"You're Captain America, huh?" she asked.

Rogers nodded.

"My Grandfather was in World War II - he never got to meet you, but I know he was an admirer."

"Well thank you, miss. How old is he?"

She shook her head. "He died when I was four."

"Oh," he muttered. It was just another jab to him, knowing that most of the good men his age who had served America had long ago grown old, and most were already in their graves. Another silence followed.

"So Lyanne," tried Banner, "Are you actually joining the Avengers?"

Everyone turned their heads around to stare at her. The question had been nagging at them all since they had first met the woman, but no one had wanted to ask it. They had only been a team for a little over two months; one of their team members was still mute and unavailable, and it stung. Nobody wanted a replacement for Thor.

"I don't know. Director Fury didn't give me much in the way of specifics."

"Good to realize nobody knows shit about what's going on," Tony quipped.

"Well what do you want me to do about it?" Lyanne suddenly snapped.

Tony tilted his head.

"Temper, temper," he teased, wagging his finger. "Wouldn't want you to have a freak-out, now would we?"

Lyanne scoffed.

"It's not always when I'm angry, you know, I'm not that much like the Hulk."

Everyone leaned closer, suddenly interested. Lyanne looked unsure, then uncomfortable.

"What?" she asked. "Didn't Fury at least tell you what I am?"

Banner raised his hand. "I knew a little bit, just from what Fury was questioning me about. But no, he really didn't tell us anything."

"Oh," she whispered, self-conscious. "I thought…" she trailed off, glancing out the window again.

Tony Stark was growing more impatient.

"Well no he didn't, obviously. Care to fill us in?"

Lyanne glanced over at him, considering, here eyebrows raised and chin jutted defiantly. She was suddenly no longer the meek girl who had been sitting there for the past 10 minutes. She looked arrogant and - strangely enough - amused.

"Sure," she said, smirking and kicking off her boots.

Suddenly, her thick dark hair turned bright purple, the exact color of the triangular stripes now appearing on her upper arms and thighs, which otherwise were turning white and furry. Her calves and forearms were also growing thick purple fur that flowed gently down and obscured half of her hands and feet, which were now very long and tipped with wicked black claws. Her face extended into a wolfish snout, complete with sharp fangs and a dark, wet nose. Her ears were long and rabbit-like, sticking up like purple stalks from the forest of her hair, but she quickly pulled them back against her head. A violet mark that looked something like a flame was patterned over each of her eyes, which were still human, but no longer the muddy brown color they normally were. They were golden and feral, and along with holding the look of intelligence, also held a look of danger. She grinned wickedly and examined them all with a challenging glance.

"Shit," was all Tony could say. Bruce Banner looked bemused, but transfixed, while Rogers looked stunned and the two agents merely stared. They sat in silence for a little while until Lyanne shifted uncomfortably, reaching behind her and sighing with relief as they heard fabric tear and saw a thick purple tail hang down from the chair. Tony finally spoke again.

"So, you're here because you're a giant purple wolf-rabbit."

They laughed awkwardly for a few moments before Lyanne sighed.

"No, I'm here because I totaled a town."


	5. A Request, or an Order

Loki paced back and forth across his shimmering cell. The Allfather had gone to great lengths to contain him, and his efforts had not been in vain. Loki's prison consisted of no more than a bed, a chair, and a bookcase full of varied literature. Whatever magic Odin had cast to create the cell negated Loki's own; he was basically helpless. Even when meals were brought to him, the guards were able to walk right through the translucent magic barrier and sneer in his face, and he could not do a thing about it. So he bided his time. He read, he stretched, he practiced the movements he would make for when he was able to cast magic again. Not that it did any good. Nobody had even come to visit him except for his "mother," and she had hardly said anything at all, merely tried to hold him and soothe his anger. But he had turned away from her and merely stared at the ceiling. She had left crying, and though it was fleeting, he had felt a small prick of loneliness. He furrowed his brow in anger.

_My blessed family. What a merciful king Thor will make - so _empathetic, _so _caring.

His bitter thoughts filled him, consumed him, until frustrated, he would grab another of the books he had read a dozen times and read it once more. Every day had been the same for the past two months - what were they hoping to accomplish? Or was this his eternal punishment? Cursed forever to sit in a prison cell, alone, helpless, angered? Loki longed so much for his former power and purpose that the lack of it had left him hollow, only to be refilled by fury and hurt. He threw the book aside with frustration and ran his fingers through his long dark hair, sighing heavily. Suddenly, he heard footsteps in the empty hallway outside his jail. He immediately recognized the heavy, assured stride of his "brother," Thor. He quickly rolled over on his bed, facing away from the transparent wall that faced the hallway, and pretended to be asleep. He heard the footsteps stop right outside his cell, and heard an amused, arrogant chuckle.

"You must know I can tell you're awake, brother," Thor said.

Loki said nothing in return, merely kept pretending to sleep. He deepened his breaths to seem more convincing, but Thor was having none of it.

"Your talents are many, Loki, but you cannot trick me into believing you aren't merely just trying to avoid a conversation."

Loki let out a huff and rolled back over, forcing himself upright to stare into his brother's face. Thor looked to be in the best health of his life - thick golden hair stylishly combed, beard neatly trimmed, muscles swelling beneath his usual leather armor.

"What do you want with me?" spat Loki. It was the first time he had said anything for several weeks, and his voice was hoarse with disuse.

"Is your anger still so great?"

"Do you still think yourself so high above me?"

"No, brother, we are equals, as you always wished."

"Then tell me why you are not in this _cheerful_ cell with me?" he asked, grinning and gesturing broadly to his surroundings. "Tell me why the Allfather hasn't even come to look upon my face."

Loki's voice cracked just slightly at this; it hurt his stomach to think about his abandonment, but it ached more to speak it aloud. Thor looked sad and hung his head, but said nothing.

"Ah, so the old man still harbors his grudge? He is so quick to demand redemption and respect from others but can give none of it himself."

"Yes, he seeks your redemption, he longs for it as much as I do. But you show no signs of remorse, no desire for atonement. Tell me brother, what makes it so hard for you to allow peace into your heart?"

Loki bristled and suddenly lunged himself to the thin, shimmering barrier between them. He pulled his thin lips back from his teeth in a grimace and glared at Thor with as much hate as he could muster.

"ASK ME THAT AFTER FATHER CASTS YOU ASIDE LIKE GARBAGE, WHEN HE LOCKS YOU IN A CELL LIKE AN ANIMAL, WHEN HE DEMANDS YOUR PENITANCE BUT GIVES NONE OF IT HIMSELF!"

"That's enough, Loki," said a soft, but commanding tone from behind Thor.

Odin Allfather stepped up to the wall in front of Loki and stared down into his adopted son's hate-filled face. Loki scowled but said nothing.

"Loki, I know how you must feel," he began, but the prisoner cut him off.

"No you don't," he said quickly, menacingly. "You never have. Hence my gilded cage and the warm, comforting feel Asgard has now that _justice_ has been done," he seethed.

"No, it has not," replied Odin.

"Father?" Thor questioned, but Odin made a silencing gesture with his hand and he was quiet.

"Loki, I have not done you justice. You are right."

"Of course I'm right!" he spat, but Odin held a hand up to quiet him, too.

"I ask for your atonement, but I cannot fathom any way for you to achieve it here in your cell. You are released from your imprisonment." He waved a hand and the shimmering barrier fell away.

Thor stepped back, unsure, gripping his hammer tightly and preparing for a strike. But this action on the Allfather's part had taken Loki quite by surprise.

"Where's the catch?" he hissed, remaining where he was.

"No catch," Odin said. "Only a request. Or an order. However you see fit to view it - either as my son, or my captive."

Loki raised a questioning eyebrow and stepped forward into the hallway slowly.

"Good. Loki, I have conferred with some of the beings of Earth, and they have agreed to take you into their realm on the condition that you are to be monitored and kept in check at all times. Other than that, you are free to do as you wish, and seek your redemption in the way that you feel you can earn it."

Loki was temporarily speechless, then suddenly affronted.

"_Earth?"_ he cried. "That toiling mess of lesser beings and repulsive mortals?"

"Yes," said Odin sternly. "Perhaps you might learn humility from them."

"Oh I know plenty about humility, my _family _was quite sure to see to that."

Odin sighed heavily and ran his hand across his brow in frustration.

"I will not have another argument about this Loki. You can seek for the right path on Earth, or live out your endless days in comfortable solitude."

Loki huffed, beyond words.

"Father, who is to guard Loki?" asked Thor tentatively.

"You, of course," replied Odin. "As well as the rest of the team you befriended while on Earth."

"The Avengers? They will take him upon themselves?"

"As long as you rejoin them, then yes, they would."

"With whom did you discuss this?"

"My ravens brought messages from between your Nick Fury and myself. He has agreed on the conditions discussed. Will you agree, for your brother's sake?"

Thor glanced back at Loki, whose scowl had only deepened.

"I shall," Thor vowed.

"Then off you go," Odin said, conjuring up the thick, heady magic that allowed the passage between worlds while the Bifrost was under repair. Loki and Thor had no time to react before they were pulled into it.


	6. Welcome to the Avengers

Lyanne had turned back to her normal form and started to spin her tale to the team; or at least the parts that mattered.

Months prior, down on her luck again and desperate for cash, she had volunteered at a government-run medical facility. They were testing vaccines, viruses, and medical devices in a town she could no longer remember. Lyanne had never been there, but drifting was easy once you got the hang of it, and rumors were just as simple to follow. Once she had arrived the process was quick and they had her deep underground in a small chamber, cameras and clipboards ready.

"We're testing a new allergy medication," they had claimed. "Do you have any allergies?"

"Oh, yes," she had lied. This particular test appeared very lucrative - but she wondered why no one had yet tested the medication. She had been the only volunteer. She listed off several common allergies as they scribbled and conferred. It was nearly an hour before they were even ready to advance to the next phase.

"Miss Brooks, you're going to feel a sharp prick in your arm, but please, don't move until we remove the needle."

"What kind of allergy medication needs a needle jab?" she asked, but they had already grabbed a hold of her arm and inserted the syringe tip into her skin. It felt burning hot and she shrieked, but they held her tightly so she wouldn't squirm. Panicking, she had tried to kick away and scream, but they forced her back into the chair and pushed the rest of the chemical into her body. She immediately passed out, and several hours later, when she awoke on a gurney, the testers were gone and a fat wad of twenties awaited her. No one else had tested the medication; what they had offered, they had given all of it to her. She thought it was queer but didn't revisit the instance until weeks later, when her skin began to feel prickly randomly throughout the day, then a week after that when she grew fur and it just as suddenly vanished. But it wasn't until her complete transformation into a wicked-looking beast that it had finally, _painfully_ occurred to her that they hadn't been testing medications at all.

"It's not uncommon for companies to try to replicate the super formula that made Captain America, but the results are usually much more disastrous," offered Natasha.

"Much more disastrous?" said Lyanne, incredulous. "More so than becoming a monster, sometimes randomly throughout the week, with only mild control over your actions?"

"Could be worse," said Banner seriously.

Lyanne blushed and looked away; he was right. At least she could control it to a better degree than he could. And she still had her wits about her in her altered state. They were quiet for a few moments until they heard footsteps approaching outside the door. It opened quickly and a tense Nick Fury walked in.

"I've got some good news and bad news," he announced abruptly.

"Bad news first?" asked Banner.

Fury shook his head.

"I have to tell you the good news first. Thor is returning to us once more."

They broke into smiles; despite his arrogance and noble manner, Thor was a more than welcome member of the team. They had had to admit they had missed him terribly.

"How did you find that out?" asked Barton.

"I've had communications open with the leader of Asgard, Odin, thanks to Doctor Selvig."

"So what's the bad news?" asked Romanoff. "Thor is returning."

"Loki's coming with him."

There was a collective intake of breath in the room. Loki had not been as missed on Earth as his brother. Lyanne raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She knew who he was, though her knowledge on the events that took place in New York City two months ago was not extensive. That was around the time she had received the mysterious shot; her mind had been elsewhere.

"Why is he coming here?" asked Rogers. "Shouldn't he be imprisoned?"

"Nice of you to let us in on the fact communications with Asgard were open," muttered Stark, but Fury ignored his anger.

"Odin wants us to try to rehabilitate Loki. I refused at first until he offered Thor as a guard."

"But why bother at all?" interjected Romanoff. "We're not a rehab for psychotic criminals here. We're a government agency. Why did you agree to this ridiculous request?"

"I shudder to think of the fact you may all have forgotten your own challenging beginnings," replied Fury.

"You're not actually thinking of letting him join the Avengers, are you?" asked Tony.

Once again, he had voiced what everyone had not wanted to think about. Fury stared Tony down.

"Maybe. There have been reports of much more otherworldly activity than what Loki had invited to Earth. Much more - disturbing. We believe he could provide us with valuable insight as to what these dangerous activities might be."

"Why would he tell us?" asked Banner, wringing his hands nervously. "You're not thinking of torturing him, are you?"

"I doubt that would do any good," he said. "I believe that Odin and the rest of Asgard would make powerful allies, and if having them behind us means trying to make Loki redeem himself, and help us, I'm willing to take that chance."

"Take the chance that he could escape and possibly harm thousands of people, or more?" snapped Stark.

"For a chance to save the world, yes."

"In case you didn't notice, the six of us against one of him was barely enough. It wouldn't have been, if not for the Hulk," said Barton. He looked worried and angry.

"Well then I guess it's good news that now there are seven of you. And one of them just happens to be almost half as powerful as the Hulk. When she sets her mind to it," Fury replied solemnly.

Lyanne looked up from her chair and stared Fury in the eye.

"You want me to guard him?" she asked, horrified. She didn't know much about him, but what little she did know was not good. This was a terrible idea.

"Welcome to the Avengers," he said.


	7. Loki Meets Lyanne

Thor and Loki landed on the soft, moist ground beneath them, disoriented and staggering to their feet in the mud. The rain was torrential; they were soaked through in a matter of seconds. Thor grabbed Loki's elbow roughly and tried to lead him towards an extremely large building in the distance. Loki considered putting up a fight - even though they were both still suffering from the jarring effects of their teleportation, Loki thought he might be able to best him with a few tricks. But before he could even twist his hands, two dozen guns were trained on them both, enclosing them in a steadily encroaching circle. Thor looked pleased.

"Director Fury?" he asked. One of the agents responded.

"He's waiting for you at Headquarters. We were advised you would need assistance with this one," he said, gesturing with his gun towards Loki. A wicked grin stretched across the face of Thor's brother.

"Two dozen guns and a god, and you were still worried?" he sneered. "You have every reason to be."

Ignoring his taunt, they marched the brothers towards SHIELD headquarters steadily, not talking to him, but conversing freely with Thor. Loki might have been jealous, had he not despised the residents of Earth and their weak minds. Any conversation they could offer him would probably not be to his liking. After several minutes in the mud and rain, they reached the doors of SHIELD and were allowed entry through several checkpoints, down hallways, elevators, and countless armed guards. After several more minutes of twisting, brightly lit hallways and identical steel doors, they paused outside one with laughter emanating from inside. The agent knocked, Fury opened, and the brothers were deposited unceremoniously into the room.

Immediately there was an uproar; all five of the other Avenger teammates had gathered around Thor, slapping his back, shaking his hand, or questioning him. There were jovial remarks and jibes, a few cursory glances thrown Loki's way, and the tone died down to mutterings and explanations. Bored, Loki began to examine the small steel room. A few windows, some uncomfortable looking chairs, a table laid with bottles of water. Bland, forgettable. He smirked and turned back around to watch the Avengers team get on with their reunion. But when he turned on his heel, he was face-to-face with someone unfamiliar. She was thin, her hair hung in her face, and her eyes - they were staring holes into him. He looked her up and down with contempt before smirking.

"Here to set the table, girl? Fetch me something other than warm water."

She scoffed and a wry smile spread across her face. She nonchalantly tossed her hair back behind her and looked into his eyes.

"I thought you'd be taller," she sneered.

Loki had almost a foot on her. He raised his eyebrows.

"Quite confident for a maid. Or are you pretending to be an agent?" He laughed, a small titter that was meant to burrow under her skin. But she said nothing, only kept her smirk fixed as she watched his face. "No, no, your clothes are too ragged for that - a victim, perhaps, a witness to some tragedy SHIELD needed to investigate? Or maybe you just set up this lovely chamber for our benefit? Ah, perhaps Fury has found some use for you, another broken creature he'll use for his own purpose and gain?"

Her smile slid slowly from her features.

"I see I've hit the mark," he laughed. "I've much better aim than your companion over there," he said, gesturing to Hawkeye.

She curled her lip and gazed at him contemptuously.

"We'll see who's laughing when I teach you a lesson in manners," she jibed.

"You, little thing? You couldn't teach a worm to eat dirt."

"You couldn't even take over a city block with a whole army, as I recall."

He bared his teeth and made a motion towards her, but the sight of the six Avengers clutching their fists and staring him down made him rethink his plan of action. For now, he'd play nice.

"And what do they call you? What sweet nickname have they chosen for the meek and helpless pet they have adopted and called an agent?"

"I'm not an agent," she hissed.

"Hey you know she's right," Tony suddenly interrupted. "The rest of us have our nifty little codenames. What do we call her?"

"I don't have a nickname," Thor tried to say, but Tony shushed him and put a finger to his chin in contemplation.

"How about Beast?" laughed Banner. "Kind of similar to Hulk."

"No, that one's taken, I've heard," explained Tony.

Loki was suddenly interested - not in her nickname, of course, but rather what said moniker could imply. Did she have powers supernatural to a human, then? A suit like Stark's, a serum like the one that made Captain America, or a skill, like Hawkeye or Black Widow? Or were her powers a result of her birth, like Thor or himself, or even a mutation like Banner's? He was definitely interested now.

"How about just Lyanne," she insisted.

"Is that your name?" Loki snickered.

"Yes, _Loki,_ it is."

"How… innocent-sounding."

He shook his head in amusement and walked over to the window to watch the rain pour down the glass. Lyanne gave him one last nasty look before she joined the Avengers to welcome Thor, who was nothing but politely inquisitive and mannerly. Clearly, charm wasn't something that ran in their family.


	8. Night Watch

Director Fury set them up with small residential rooms that were all either adjacent or across from each other. The corridor was manned with heavily armed guards 24/7. There were also doors and walls built to withstand bomb blasts and gunfire. Lyanne still didn't feel safe - everyone had to take an hour-long shift guarding Loki at some point during the night beginning at 10 p.m. Lyanne had the misfortune of pulling her shift from 3 a.m. to 4 a.m., just when she would probably be most tired. On the plus side, she reasoned, Loki would most likely still be asleep. She was wrong.

When she walked into his room to relieve Hawkeye of his shift, she found to her displeasure that Loki was still very much awake. As Agent Barton left, she settled down into the still-warm armchair and watched Loki lying in bed, in the darkness, his legs and arms crossed. She could not see his face, since he had left the lights off, but she knew he must have had his usual nasty grin plastered on his face. She could hear the smile in his voice as he greeted her.

"Good evening, Lyanne. I trust you slept well?"

"Yes," she said curtly. She didn't want to let him know how tired she really was.

"Very good. I'm sure you won't mind fetching me a drink then, since you're so well-rested?"

"Why don't you get it yourself?" she snapped.

"Tsk, tsk, so moody. Do you want me to ask _nicely?"_

Lyanne did not want to give him the satisfaction of bothering her. He could inconvenience her, but she would win this round. Scowling, she raised herself from the armchair and got him a glass of water from the sink that all the identical rooms had come equipped with. She walked over cautiously - she could still see his hands, but not his face. She wondered whether he was merely testing her or torturing her. He must know she was exhausted. She handed the glass over to him. As he grasped it, his long fingers grazed hers lightly and she shivered involuntarily.

"Cold?" he asked, the smile still in his voice.

"A little," she lied. The truth was, she was not used to being touched.

She couldn't remember the last time she had held somebody's hand, or had someone's arm around her shoulder, or felt the heat of a friendly embrace. Loki either didn't notice or didn't care that she had frozen in place. He took the smallest of sips from his glass, then placed it upon the small table next to his bed - directly in front of the digital display of the time. The numbers swam and became distorted in the condensation from the glass - but removing it would let Loki win a victory in his attempts to annoy her, so she ignored it and instead crossed back over to the armchair and sat down.

"That chair is achingly comfortable for a government possession, don't you think? I suppose they put it there so that my guards would be at ease while they watched me nap, but instead I fear it makes everyone rather sleepy."

_Miserable bastard,_ she cursed internally. She _was_ tired… and he knew it. Well, if she could keep him talking, maybe she could stay awake.

"I'm surprised you aren't asleep, actually," she said.

"Oh, I don't really sleep much. Not anymore."

"Why not? Afraid something is going to come get you?" she teased. "I'm right here to protect you from the boogie man, don't you worry."

"No, you're here to protect the world from me - the creature you mortals have nightmares about, and rightfully fear. That's why you are here."

She shrugged - she was bathed in moonlight that streamed in from the windows, and knew Loki could see her every move. She wished desperately he would come into the light, but was sure that that was another of his tricks, to remain hidden and mysterious. She would not relent to anything he wished her to.

"So _stubborn_, Miss Brooks. Do you think your quiet demeanor will trouble me?"

"No."

"Then why the silence?"

"I'm not sure what to talk about," she admitted. He chuckled, a laugh that sent small prickles up her spine.

"Why don't we talk about you?" he asked. She scoffed.

"I hardly think you'd be interested in what a _lowly_ mortal has to say, Loki."

"Try me," he said, finally leaning forward and showing his face in the moonlight.

She rolled her eyes.

"Why not tell me about your path to the Avengers? I'm sure it was thrilling for you."

"You'd like that, huh? Inside information?"

He shook his head with a nefarious smile.

"Well, I can certainly tell your power is not reading minds," he sneered.

Lyanne turned red.

"I turned into a monster and destroyed the majority of a small town. A large residential area, malls, cars, trucks, gas stations, you name it. Nobody was killed, but I caused enough damage to get on SHIELD's radar. And here I am. Seeking redemption, like you."

Loki looked slightly shocked. She had offered everything up to him immediately - why? Lyanne took his expression as a questioning glance, as if he was wondering how she knew why he had come back to Earth.

"Thor told me why you're here," she explained.

"No, that's not why I'm puzzled. I knew you knew. What I'm curious about, admittedly, is why did you just tell me that? Wouldn't you have had a distinct advantage in not letting me know your powers?"

"If I'm going to be guarding you, you would have found out eventually."

"Yes, but perhaps you could have surprised me with it. However unlikely that would be," he added quickly.

"It wouldn't matter. Either I can overpower you, or I can't. Surprise could help, but considering how wily you are even when caught unawares, it wouldn't have much of an impact."

Loki considered this for a moment. He understood her reasoning - he liked it, even. Maybe this night wouldn't be so dull after all.

"So then tell me of your childhood," he said. "I know how sentimental you mortals can be."

"Like you?" she shot. Loki seethed - it seemed as though Thor had told them a great deal more than he had suspected. "Don't worry, I don't care. I'm not judging you for that. Sibling and family rivalry is something I understand very well."

Loki raised an eyebrow. Lyanne suddenly felt a rush of gratitude that he was illuminated in the moonlight - she felt more at ease being able to read his facial expressions.

"It seems you know a lot about me, but I hardly know anything about you," he said. "Continue." Lyanne felt she should have given resistance, but let Loki have this round. Talking about her past made her angry - maybe angry enough to stay awake for the remainder of the hour.

So she delved into her past without getting too sentimental - her parents had divorced and split custody evenly with four of their five children - two with her father, two with her mother - but Lyanne, the youngest, was fought over viciously. Whatever parent had main custody would receive not only state assistance, but also child support from the other spouse. In the end, the lawyers advised she be sent to a relative and they would both have to pay. Instead, they gave her up for adoption. She had been ten years old.

She had been in and out of various children's shelters or foster homes, but was never adopted. When she turned 18, she and several others her age had grouped together, gotten an apartment and jobs, and lived normally for almost four years. But eventually things turned sour, and they all split. Lyanne had spent the last two years drifting from place to place. Now she was 24, and adjusting to life where she didn't need to worry about where she was going next was quite a shock.

"But you manage," he said.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because, I - I like it here," she admitted. "I've never slept better in my life, nobody judges me. I don't feel like I have to move anymore."

She suddenly stopped. It was true. She hadn't realized it until that moment, but it was an incredible revelation. This was the first place she had truly had a home since she was ten.

"What a touching story," he sneered, and the moment was over.

"I didn't tell you so that you would enjoy it," she said. "I merely told you what you asked of me."

"And you did a commendable job. I wonder, are all mortals as sentimental as you?"

She looked out the window towards the muddy field where he and Thor had teleported to.

"And you, Loki? Still feeling sore about your Daddy?"

"I'm not going to have a competition over whoever thinks the other is more pathetic, if that's what you're asking."

"No, I just figured you'd understand, I guess."

"Understand what?"

She hesitated.

"Redemption," she whispered.

She heard him breathe heavily.

"You know, I am feeling rather tired," he said, rolling over to face the window and closing his eyes. The rest of the hour was spent in silence until Tony relieved her and she went back to her room, tired but unable to sleep.


	9. Can't Blame a Guy for Trying

When everyone had roused themselves for the morning, Lyanne finally left her bed. Having gotten such little sleep, her arms felt like they were made of lead. Her body was tougher to move, heavier, and her eyes burned from lack of sleep. Internally cursing Loki, she showered, dressed, and entered the communal dining hall at SHIELD headquarters for breakfast. As she took her place beside Steve Rogers, she glanced down the table where Thor and Loki sat in silence. Loki's eyes locked on her and she whipped her face away to grab a piece of toast.

"…And then I tossed the bottle and hit it right onto the balcony below! I broke not only the cabana table, but also the $600 bottle of champagne the two were drinking, too!"

The men were laughing at another insane story of Stark's. Lyanne sat quietly as the four men excitedly recalled their adventures - or, rather, as Thor and Tony shared their experiences and Bruce and Steve listened and laughed. Apparently Clint and Natasha were on a minor mission with Fury and would not be back for several hours. That just left the six of them. As their laughter died down and they cleared their plates, Tony began to discuss something interesting.

"Fury mentioned a training room - nothing crazy, but not exactly a normal gym, either."

"Is it enclosed? How much can it handle?" asked Banner.

"Well, how much can you dish?"

Banner cracked his knuckles and smiled.

"Let's go find it," he said with a grin.

"What about…" started Steve, but Thor clapped him on the back roughly and cut in.

"We can all go. It will be easier to keep an eye," he said. Loki shot him a scathing look but he did not notice.

After nearly fifteen minutes of searching, they found what appeared to be an empty airplane hangar - but with various weights, punching bags, a wrestling mat, cardio equipment, a boxing ring, and even a section with diverse weapons including knives and nunchuks. Steve gave a low, soft whistle, impressed.

"Not bad at all," commented Tony. He turned to Lyanne. "Ladies first!"

"Oh, then I insist you go," she joked. Tony put a hand on her shoulder and led her over to the weights.

"I think that you need to show us just how tough you are," he said seriously. "So when we're in trouble, we know what you can do." He gave her a winning grin that she returned.

"Mr. Stark, I believe you just want to see me do it again, don't you?"

"If I say yes, will you?"

Lyanne laughed. She felt… she didn't know how to describe it, but the closest she could come was 'accepted.' So she concentrated, willing her body to change. And it did. Her transformation only took about 30 seconds, but it was no less stunning than it had been the day before. When she opened her eyes, she found all five men staring at her. Banner was once again looking impressed, while Tony was clapping his hands in admiration. Thor, who had not yet seen her in her monstrous form, looked completely dumbstruck. When Lyanne looked over to Loki, however, she was surprised to see a rather wide grin on his face.

_Fascinating,_ he mouthed to her. She ignored him and instead walked over to the weight rack.

"Start with the small ones," Tony advised. Lyanne raised a brow but he shook his head. "We know you can lift the little guys, but it's really better to start out small, warm yourself up."

Tony continued to give her training advice that she followed intently, while the others worked here or there, exploring their different choices. Loki smiled to himself - how _easy_ this was going to be. Under the pretense of examining a few weapons on a lower rack, he rolled away out of sight, to a narrow space in between the boxing ring and the wall. He concentrated, sending an identical image of himself magically to where he had been kneeling by the weapons rack. And not a moment too soon - Thor had rounded the corner and began to watch Loki.

"Having fun yet, brother?" he asked.

"Not yet," his image said.

"Have you thought yet about how you are going to make up to these people the damage you have done?"

"No."

Thor's nostrils flared, but he stormed away to lift weights with Lyanne and Tony. The monstrous girl was already lifting 200 pound weights with very little effort, much to the delight of her teammates. They cheered her on as she added 25 pound weights to both ends of the bar she was using and clipped them. Loki smirked to himself, as did his image.

_Much too easy,_ he thought.

His image walked over and watched with the rest of the men, and kept watching as she lifted 250, 300, 400, and finally 500 pounds - and it was still not a very difficult task for her. After nearly an hour, the team decided to break and shower. Now was Loki's chance. His image began to follow them out of the gym and into the hallway, it was directly behind Lyanne… when suddenly she stopped and turned. She sniffed the air and scowled. Loki froze where he was, but made his image smile.

"What?" he said.

Lyanne suddenly bolted around his magical depiction and launched herself straight at the boxing ring. Loki did not even have time to duck beneath it before he felt her sharp claws dig into his arm and yank him up onto the mat. He struggled, but she held him tight for a few seconds before Thor and the rest of the team were upon them, several guards pouring into the gym after hearing the commotion. Loki stopped fidgeting and gave his most winning, wicked grin.

"Can't blame a guy for trying," he laughed.

The others shook their heads and began to walk out.

"Most impressive, sweet thing. Now, you will promise not to try to sniff my backside like all the other dogs, won't you?"

Lyanne snarled and dropped him on the mat roughly. He quickly whirled around and swept the floor with his leg, connecting with her ankles and knocking her down onto the mat. He was upon her in seconds, a knife from the rack at her throat, threatening. She roared at him, spittle flying from her fangs, but he was so strong - his elbow came down into her throat as his free hand lowered the blade closer to her jugular. The others were rushing to help, but would not get there in time…

Suddenly, Lyanne squirmed her neck free from underneath his elbow and bit down as hard as possible onto his forearm. Hot blood gushed into her mouth, salty and thick. He screamed in pain and dropped the knife, which Lyanne quickly kicked away, gasping for air and clutching at her throat. Tony, Steve and Thor constricted Loki while Banner rubbed her back gently to help soothe her. She slowly morphed back into her normal appearance, never taking her eyes off of Loki. His arm was bleeding heavily, and Lyanne was suddenly concerned she might have hit something vital. Well, not _that_ concerned - but she did offer to help clean him up.

"How magnanimous of you," he spat.

"He'll be fine in the medical center," Tony said.

"Asgardians heal much more quickly than others," added Thor. "He'll be fine in no time."

Lyanne nodded, watching them go with a mixture of anger, fear, and… _excitement._ Something about the way his sapphire eyes had gleamed with purpose, the blue as cold as the deepest ocean, frightening and yet mesmerizing. She brushed it away - she was positive the adrenaline was altering her emotions. But she couldn't help but notice the way Loki turned around to stare at her before they pushed him roughly through the gym doors.


	10. Confrontation

"Stop it, you big baby," she muttered to herself. She was putting ice on her bruised neck. It ached incredibly and it was still tough for her to breathe. Loki's elbow had crushed her almost to the point of asphyxiation - _almost._ Although he was confined once more to his chambers for the night, they did not place a team member within to keep an eye on him.

"Too risky," Fury had said with concern, once he had heard what had happened.

It was midnight. Lyanne was wide awake, but still exhausted. Her body ached and she couldn't rest for the pain in her neck. She decided to go for a walk. Exiting her room, she glanced across the hall, straight at Loki's door. It was unguarded. Panicking, she bolted inside to see if anyone was hurt - but she needn't have worried. Loki was lounging on his bed as usual, wide awake and smirking.

"Well good evening, Lyanne."

She slammed the door behind her.

"Loki," she hissed.

"So you've come to confront me. I must admit I thought you would have come much later. You seem like the type who wouldn't give in to urges so easily." He heaved a sarcastic sigh. "It seems I was wrong."

"Why did you hurt me?" she asked. "What could you possibly gain?"

"Freedom from this foolishness," he sniped.

"I did nothing to you! You're lying."

"You discovered my plans to escape."

"I don't believe you would make it that easy by accident."

"Ah, so the little pup isn't as lost as she looks!"

"So it's true. You set the whole thing up, knowing that I would attack you. Knowing you could fight back, but you'd be outgunned by the Avengers. Why? If you didn't plan to escape why try to kill me?"

"I didn't really try to kill you," he explained. His calmness was infuriating. "Had I truly given it an attempt, you would not be here right now, quivering in front of me, warbling your words as you ask for answers. Pitiful, really."

"Why?" she whispered. She could hear the tears start to rise in her aching throat; she didn't have the strength to hold them back. Loki saw this and stared at her, expressionless. She turned away, humiliated.

"Why?" he asked. He scoffed. "You were angered yesterday when you accused me of not being capable of understanding. But I am. It seems as though you are the ignorant one."

Confused, she shook her head. Loki gestured for her to sit down on the bed beside him. She hesitated, but decided to go for broke and sat down, though closer to the end of the bed than he had indicated.

"Forgive my candor," he began. "But I think you have much more potential than you make yourself out to have."

"Potential," she scoffed. "Fury used the same word."

She stared into his blue eyes, shining in the light with a wicked glimmer.

"He's smarter than I give him credit for. Tell me, Lyanne, how do you think you will redeem yourself - through rigid discipline, keeping your powers contained until the _righteous_ time to use them comes, or by immersing yourself completely and entirely into them, allowing power to flow unlimited through you?"

She was so sapped of energy she couldn't comprehend what he was saying. She shook her head groggily.

"I don't understand," she said.

"Do you want me to repeat it louder?" he asked, nudging closer, raising his voice with irritation.

"No, no," she muttered slowly.

"You've exhausted yourself," he said. "You expended all your energy today just trying to save your own life, and that thrill, that _exhilaration_ you felt afterwards, knowing you tapped into your full potential - it felt good, didn't it? Almost like the _righteous_ thing to do."

Lyanne took a moment to consider, but discovered he was right. It _had_ felt good - better than good. It was incredible. The adrenaline rush, her heart pounding, the copper taste of fear in her mouth, the triumph of having cheated death - it was overwhelming. Her revelation must have shown on her face because when she looked back at Loki he was smiling a few short inches away from her. Startled, she gasped and shoved him away, accidentally hitting his bandaged arm. He cried out in pain, furious.

"I'm so sorry!" she yelped, reaching for his arm and taking it in her hands before she realized what she was doing. Neither of them moved or spoke for a long moment before Lyanne finally asked, "May I take a look?"

Loki nodded, never taking his eyes off of her. Slowly, she began to unwrap the bandage from his arm, white at first, then after a few layers splotches of dark brown began to show through. Dried blood. She began to feel guilty, but her throat throbbed and she forced the feeling away. After what seemed like an eternity, the last bit of soiled bandage came away and Lyanne sucked in her breath as she inspected the damage. Her long fangs had penetrated deep into his flesh, she had known that, but hadn't realized that she had come so staggeringly close to the bone. His arm was not as bruised as she thought it would be, however; there were already green and yellow marks surrounding the puncture wounds.

"Are you healing already?" she asked.

He nodded.

"How long will it take for the bite marks to go away?"

"Most likely a couple days."

She sighed.

"Loki," she began, but his hand was on her face and she froze. Her heart began to pound so hard she was scared it was going to burst, she clutched her chest but he got closer, turning her head and breathing heavily against her ear. She began panting as his hot breath tickled at her sore neck; she was scared but could do nothing, so petrified she was actually helpless.

"I want you to do a favor for me," he whispered. A chill went down her spine, but she nodded. With his hand about her neck again she was not really in a position to refuse. He got even closer, his thin lips brushed ever so slightly against the small ridge where her jawbone met her neck. He began whispering something, his fingers brushing against her bruises, and before she could even react she was falling down into a blackness so complete she felt she ceased to exist at all.


	11. But Why Me?

Lyanne awoke with a start. Bright, unfiltered light was shining down on her face; it must have been late in the day for such intense sun. Her head was pounding and her mouth was dry, but otherwise she felt rather well-rested. _Finally._ She roused herself from the bed and looked around - she was still in Loki's room. Panicking, she whipped her head around to see where he had gone, but he was nowhere to be found. Taking the opportunity, she fled into her room and locked the door. Quickly she changed her clothes and checked herself in the mirror, but froze. She ran her fingers along her neck gently, breathing slowly as she took in her reflection. Immediately she bolted back out of her room, fleeing to the dining hall where she guessed the Avengers might be eating their breakfast. Instead she was only greeted by Thor, who was drinking coffee and cramming a large sandwich into his mouth.

"Thorwhere'syourbrotherIneedtoseehimnow!" she cried.

He coughed, nearly choking from the surprise of her abrupt entrance, but washed down the blockage with coffee and swallowed, his eyes red from effort.

"What?" he choked.

"Loki, where's Loki?"

"In the library," he explained, "Banner is monitoring…"

But Lyanne did not stay long enough to hear him out. She scampered up the three flights of stairs and leapt down the hallway to reach where the library was, then burst in and inspected her surroundings. Calmly sitting in a soft armchair was Loki, holding a thick book on military tactics with his finger on his chin in concentration. He moved only his eyes up to examine her, then grinned as though she was expected.

"My, you slept very late," he said, as calmly as though he was discussing the weather.

"Loki, what did you do to me?" she demanded.

He sighed, placing the jacket of the book in between the pages as a place-keeper, set it to the side, then laced his long fingers together and leaned forward.

"And here I thought you'd be grateful," he said in a voice of mock sadness.

"My bruises," she said, touching her neck gingerly, "How did you make them disappear?"

"I thought they said you were smart?" He _tsked._ "Healing bruises is quite simple magic, especially on weaker creatures such as those of you in Midgard."

"Why?" she nearly shouted.

"_Shhhhh,"_ he commanded, putting a finger to his lips and standing. "We wouldn't want to wake the beast, now would we?"

Lyanne followed his gaze to the form of Banner, who was slumped in another armchair on the other side of the library, fast asleep with a novel on his chest.

"Did you put him to sleep like you did to me?" she asked.

"No, he was reading when he drifted off. I would do him no such favors."

"Then why me?"

He laughed.

"You were exhausted! I should think you would be appreciative for the rest."

"W-well, yeah, but," she began stammering. "But why would you care?"

He rolled his eyes impatiently, but kept the mischievous grin on his face.

"You still don't understand? Very well. I suppose I've given you too much credit to figure things out on your own."

She sneered and tried to snap something at him, but he shook his finger in mock admonishment.

"Let me finish."

She nodded and stood silently.

"I was talking to you about potential - that your powers can be unlocked, unleashed, unhindered. That you can be completely free, if only you indulge yourself in letting go of your imagined control."

She tilted her head to the side like a confused dog and Loki found it simply too rich for words. But he continued.

"You talk of redemption, Miss Brooks. Well, imagine your path to it. What does it look like? Do you fancy yourself as a self-restricted being, controlled and contained, or loose, uninhibited? Which do you think is the easiest path to redeeming yourself?"

"Losing control?" she countered. "Are you dumb or just insane?" she balked. Loki snickered.

"It's not as simple as loss of control," he continued patiently. "It's the turning of the key to open your true power."

"Which is what? Devastation?"

"Perhaps. Do you have any idea what fate awaits the realm of Midgard?"

"You mean Earth?" she whispered.

"Yes," he responded quietly.

She shook her head. He leaned close to her once more, his face inches away from hers.

"Just what you said before. _Devastation."_

She backed away, trying to comprehend his warning.

"How would you know this?"

"I had made a deal with the bringer of this destruction. As you must have seen, I failed in my attempt to rule this realm - nobody could possibly understand the fate I would have saved them from had I succeeded. But now, with my mission unsuccessful, your realm is in the path of complete annihilation. You face utter and complete defeat and punishment. But will you fight it?"

Her head was reeling. She didn't know what to think. Why would he lie about this, but then again, why did he do anything? Loki had not gotten a reputation for his _sanity,_ that was sure.

"Why tell me these things?" she asked. "What do you care what happens to the Earth?"

"A very good question. If I am found, I will be killed as well. For my failure."

Lyanne suddenly felt very conflicted. Though Loki had wished to subjugate Earth, he _would_ have been saving it from the wrath of whatever waited on the other side of their universe. However, they wouldn't have had to worry if Loki hadn't unleashed them in the first place. But he was trying to protect their realm now, even if only to save himself. Did he truly feel regret for his actions, or was this merely the childish plea of someone in over their head? Lyanne's thoughts were racing. She gazed into those deep blue eyes of his, hoping to see something there that would assure her. She found only his calculating gaze and the slight smirk that always played on his face.

"Why me?" she asked bluntly.

"Because you above all others know how cruel fate can be."

"What about Captain America?"

"He had misfortune, but wasn't it actually rather fortunate that he took that serum in the first place? Became a hero?" Loki began to advance on her slowly.

"Stark?" she mentioned, backing away.

"A cad and a foolish narcissist."

"Banner?" she tried. "Romanoff? Barton?"

"Banner cannot control himself, Romanoff and Barton are skilled, but not nearly as well as they should be." He was getting closer and closer.

"What about Thor?" she finally said. Her back was now pressed against a tall shelf of books. Loki closed the gap completely and placed an arm on the bookcase behind her, leaning in closely.

"He doesn't have the guts to murder even the harshest of villains. I should know," he said in a deadly whisper.

"Why me?" she repeated, her voice barely audible.

"Because Lyanne," he breathed into her ear, his hot breath once more tickling her neck. "When you set your mind to it, you can be as cold as I am, and as deadly with your claws as I am with my wits. We both seek redemption - we both need each other very much."

He brought his sapphire blue eyes back upon hers and they cut into her like swords. Her knees felt weak and she didn't know if she wanted to cry or sing.

So she kissed him instead.

Lyanne leaned up and quickly pressed her lips against his, holding them there for what seemed like forever, then turned and ran out of the library, not bothering to witness his expression. She ran into her room, slammed the door and locked it, and curled up into a ball on her bed where she alternately wept and laughed into her pillow.

_What am I doing?_


	12. Thor's Request, Another Burden

Lyanne was reading through the files about the Avengers initiative, as well as the incidents that accounted for their first group mission. She also read all she could about Loki, Thor, and the Tesseract - at least, anything not restricted from her. SHIELD only allowed their pets to discover so much.

But there was plenty to read about Loki, all right. Several words leapt out at her from the pages of his files. "Unbalanced," "Manipulative," "God Complex," and "Extremely Dangerous" were just a few of the choice phrases used to describe the God of Mischief.

She shuddered and closed the laptop.

_And I kissed him. The only psychopath in the whole group, and I kissed him._

She was not pleased with herself. When did she become so weak? And she still did not understand fully why this burden was upon her. Loki made it seem as though she had much more at stake than anyone else on the team, or at least could be the most useful in stopping the danger heading their way. She contemplated his words.

"_We both need each other very much."_

Did Loki feel they were kindred spirits because of their pasts? Surely Romanoff had just as bitter a tale to tell, or even Bruce Banner. But he hadn't warned them. He had warned her. He had given her reasons why but she was still uneasy. It seemed illogical to her, and Loki had a rather annoying habit of never making sense to anyone but himself. She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration and tried to calm her racing heart.

_Whatever will be, will be,_ she reminded herself. _Let the chips fall where they may. Just be there to pick them up._

This calmed her down somewhat, and she regulated her breathing and heart rate. She knew she should be concentrating on what was ahead of her; she had written down all Loki had warned her about, and had highlighted what files she had found to be relevant and useful. She copied passages and wrote notes about the incident two months prior, giving educated assumptions and some basic theories, as well as plenty to expand on. She had plenty of more important things on her mind… but still, she could not stop thinking about the kiss. She found she was reading the same sentences over and over and absorbing none of it. Every word seemed foreign to her, blurred. It was such a little thing, why was it causing so many ripples in her thoughts? She pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes, groaning with exasperation.

_Moron!_ she cursed herself. _How could you?_

She got up and walked to the water cooler, taking a cup with a shaky hand, pouring the icy cold water into it and gulping it as quickly as she could.

_The last thing your lips touched were Loki's,_ her thoughts betrayed her.

"SHUT UP!" she screamed at herself.

"Is this a bad time?"

Lyanne whirled around to face the intruder. It was Thor.

"No, no, I was just… um…" She trailed off and displayed her habit of staring out the window when she wanted to escape a conversation. Thor walked over to her quietly.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked, real concern in his voice.

_No, I just kissed your criminally insane brother,_ she wanted to snap, but restrained herself and smiled instead, nodding. Thor seemed convinced.

"What's up?" she asked.

"I was told I could find you here. I'm afraid I have a very large favor to ask of you."

_I want you to do a favor for me,_ Loki's voice rattled around inside her brain, echoing their discussion last night. She shook her head to clear it.

"You refuse? But you didn't even know what I was going to ask!"

"Uh, no, I wasn't refusing you, I just… headache," she lied lamely.

"Oh, I can get you some…"

"No, please, just… tell me. What is it you need?"

"I'm very sorry to ask this, but - my brother, Loki, he - he means a lot to me. I realize that you have been through some troubles yourself. We all have. But I was wondering if, maybe, you could… look after him? Give him some advice?"

"Why don't you do it?" she asked, more rudely than she had intended.

"Loki despises me," Thor said with a sigh. "He will not listen to me."

"What makes you think he'll listen to me?"

"You are the only one capable of containing him besides Banner and myself. But Banner can hardly control himself when he is in a position to control Loki, and the mere sight of me infuriates my brother to no end. Please, Lady Lyanne, I am asking you humbly. Take care of my brother. Help him."

She nodded her assent before she could even process what he was asking. Thor grabbed her shoulders in joy and grinned.

"Thank you, kind lady. Thank you."

_Nice job, Lyanne. Not only do you have to save the Earth, but you're now personally responsible for the man who threatened it in the first place. _And_ you kissed him._

Just great.


	13. Damn

Loki paced back and forth in his room. His thoughts were racing one minute and empty the next. _Protect yourself first,_ he thought. _If that means saving the mortals too, so be it._

But what about all he had told Lyanne?

_Foolish girl,_ he cursed, but found there was not much force behind it. He stopped pacing. His mind rushed over her once more and he closed his eyes, trying to shut it out. But it was impossible.

_That was my first kiss,_ he reminded himself. _Why didn't I kiss back?_

He sighed.

_Why should I care?_

But he was utterly distracted. He had laid his cards on the table, so to speak, waiting for Lyanne to pick them up one by one. It had certainly taken her long enough to realize he was telling her the truth. But he realized how untrustworthy he was; it should not have come as a surprise that she was cautious around him

Until that kiss.

_Damn her!_ he thought. He could not even leave his room to clear his head - the armed agents guarding his door at all times had seen to that. Last night he had tempted them away successfully by using his favorite ploy, the illusion of himself he cast, but they had caught up with it and once they realized it had been a trick, rushed back to make sure he had still been there. He had been, of course, with his companion safely concealed, and they were embarrassed, but wiser. His plan wasn't to escape, really; he just wanted a bit of fun, and a reminder to them as to who they were dealing with. But it had backfired on him when he realized the rest of the guards now knew of his trick and security outside his door had been doubled. Loki thought it foolish they hadn't been briefed on the full extent of his magical abilities beforehand, but was still amused he had been able to humiliate them. And distracting them from their posts _had_ allowed Lyanne to sneak into his room and…

_Damn._

He was trying his best to push her to the side, but every stream of thought led back to her lips against his. He closed his eyes again. Her lips touched him as briefly as an extinguishing flame, yet as fleeting as it had been, it still seized his thoughts, teasing him, torturing him. He cursed himself for thinking about it, cursed her for doing it, and cursed his own folly for allowing it to happen.

Suddenly the door to his room opened - it was a maid, coming to change his sheets. Not that he had really used them - rest wasn't something on his list of priorities at the moment. He had no desire to watch some woman change the linens on the bed he never slept on; he exited his room, trailed closely by no less than eight guards. He snickered, turned the corner, and knocked into a woman who suddenly dropped all of her files and papers. He made no movement to pick them up, only scowled down at the creature kneeling before him - and then he saw it was Lyanne. Two of the guards began helping her collect her things while Loki merely watched. She stood up, her arms full of the scattered and disorganized sheets, and looked Loki full in the face. She froze. He tried to grin but found he could not.

"Agent Brooks?" asked one of the guards.

"I'll take it from here, boys," she told them. They turned without another word, leaving Lyanne and Loki in the hallway alone. "Walk with me?" she asked. Loki complied silently. She led him down the hall into another spare room she had to check to make sure was empty. When they were both inside, she tossed her papers on a bedside table and closed the door behind them. Loki simply watched her stoically until she collected herself and gazed into his face. She didn't know where to begin, so she walked towards him uncertainly, stopping a foot away and nervously twiddling her fingers. He raised his eyebrows and watched her expectantly. Lyanne let out a small, nervous giggle.

"Loki, I - sometimes, when people argue - or, when they work together - or fight, or…"

She was stumbling over her words carelessly, forming nothing either intelligible nor important. But her ramblings were drowned out anyway. He couldn't stop staring at her mouth. Eventually her incoherent mumblings turned into actual sentences, but Loki was well beyond paying attention.

"…So do you understand that, really, there doesn't have to be anything weird…"

Loki grabbed her arms and pulled her close, pressing his lips awkwardly against hers in an attempt at a passionate kiss. She wriggled and squirmed from his grasp, panting and clutching her chest.

"What are you doing?" she nearly shouted. Loki burned with humiliation and rejection, anger quickly welling inside of him. She lunged at him and grabbed his face gently but firmly. Her touch felt like fire on his skin.

"Like this, you fool," she muttered, kissing him once more.

It was much more enjoyable this time - her lips guided his hotly, wet and swollen and aching. He groaned involuntarily, clutching at her back, holding her closer, so tightly it hurt. She tried to gasp for air but he locked his lips onto hers again and pushed his tongue into her mouth. Lyanne responded passionately, pressing her body against his, groaning softly as he pulled away from their kiss. They both stood panting, Lyanne's forehead against Loki's neck.

_What now?_

Loki slid his hands up her arms and gently pushed her away, not looking into her eyes.

"Lyanne, this cannot happen," he tried, but one more look into her face shattered whatever resolve he had left. He licked his lips in anticipation and began to bring her close, but she pushed her hands against his chest to resist.

"Loki, don't tell me 'no' and then try to kiss me again."

"You'd command me?" he snapped, suddenly his usual arrogant self again.

"No, Loki. I'm just telling you not to tease me."

He let his hands drop from her body.

"What would you have me do?" he asked, bringing his hands up, frustrated. "You certainly seem to have it all figured out," he added venomously.

She gave an aggravated sigh and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I've never gone through anything like this before," she admitted in a moment of candor.

"Nor I," confessed Loki, ashamed.

She gazed at him. Their eyes met and something unspoken passed between them.

_Whatever will be, will be._

"Ah fuck it," she said, throwing herself onto him and kissing him deeply. He grinned and squeezed her against him, returning her kiss desperately and plunging his long fingers into her hair. And for a brief moment, Loki understood the point of redemption - he had almost grasped it - but her hot breath on his cheek and the sweet caresses she laid upon him were too much to bear and he pushed her on the bed, throwing caution to the wind. For once Loki and Lyanne forgot who they were and lost themselves in the lesson they didn't yet comprehend - that love and redemption walk hand-in-hand, and that fate has a funny way of choosing a person's path for them.

* * *

Some smutty fun in this chapter, forgive me, it seemed right.


	14. Don't Make Me Regret It

_Oh God,_ she thought. _What have I done?_

Lyanne glanced over at Loki beside her. He was sleeping; it was the first time she had seen him do so. His bare chest rose and fell with his heavy breathing, not quite snoring, but close. Loki was spread across the large bed, his legs and arms extended out and his long black hair a mess. Lyanne slid silently out of the sheets and redressed, her cheeks red. Her thoughts were racing crazily; how terrible she was, how foolish, how reckless and impulsive. But then a meeker voice inside of her pushed through with the soothing reminders of the satisfaction she felt, the fun of it, the way she felt so _happy…_

Loki stirred fretfully, kicking his legs beneath the sheets and letting out a small moan. Lyanne was suddenly frightened.

_Was this something he planned? Did he want this to happen? If not, will he be angered when he awakes, or happy? Why did he go along with this?_

She breathed in and out, trying to keep her feet planted firmly on the ground. It was rather difficult considering what she had just done, but she kept her heart rate steady and, once she was fully dressed, exited the room quietly. She was in such a hazy state that she didn't even realize she had left her extensive notes on the bedside table.

* * *

Lyanne walked into the gym, following the sounds of her teammates' laughter and practicing. She smiled when she saw them; there was no confusion she felt when she thought about being an Avenger. But her smile faded quickly. She didn't know if what had happened with Loki counted as betrayal - but she didn't want to think about it. Tony jogged over to her and slung an arm about her shoulder.

"It's Nibbles!" he shouted, raising one of her arms with his own. The rest of the team cheered, except for Thor, who was caught somewhere between a grin and concern. "Tell me babe, what did it feel like to sink your teeth into that piece of work?"

Lyanne laughed. _If only you knew, Tony._

"Speaking of a piece of work," came a smug voice from behind them, "I do believe you left these behind, Miss Brooks."

Lyanne's body went cold as she watched Loki approaching them all, her notes and highlighted files held delicately in his long fingers. The entire gymnasium went silent except for the steady beat of Loki's boots on the floor echoing throughout the room. He reached her and handed the papers over, staring into her face with a sly grin. Her heart raced. Tony examined what he had handed to her with a scowl. His arm dropped from her shoulder and, taking the files, he began to leaf through her notes.

"Lyanne, were these yours?" he asked.

"Yes," she admitted hesitantly.

"These are great! Look at all this - do you mind if I borrow it and make comparisons? I might be able to add onto it, if Banner and Romanoff help."

She nodded with a smile, swallowing hard. Tony started to walk away, nose in the files, but suddenly paused and turned to face her again. He gave a glance at Loki.

"Did you say you had possession of these?" he asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Yes," Loki responded with his trademark smirk.

"How'd you get a hold of them?"

"Oh, Lyanne has been sharing quite a bit with me," he said slyly. Tony glared at them both.

"What does he mean?" asked Stark, glancing at her.

Lyanne panicked. Her heart raced and she felt the sudden weight of all she had done, her betrayal, begin to fall in pieces around her. She parted her lips to speak.

"Loki and I had s-" she began.

"…SUCH a fascinating discussion about these rather detailed files she found!" Loki interjected. "Stunning, really, the notes. Quite accurate, once she took into account the information I gave her."

Lyanne was speechless.

"What information?" Tony asked.

"The missing information about the Tesseract, the Chitauri, and the oncoming danger your realm faces once more." He grinned smugly.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I just found out this morning," she finally croaked. "I was just coming in to tell you all now."

A collective sigh of relief spread throughout the gymnasium. At least until they began to pry Loki about the information he had given Lyanne earlier in the day. Thor smiled at her and gave her an approving nod, but she couldn't return it. Her heart was still racing too fast. When Loki finished his warning about the fate of Earth, Tony looked grim.

"I guess we'll talk this over with Fury when he gets back," Tony said. He paused and clapped a hand on Loki's shoulder. "Good on ya, big guy."

Loki merely gave a polite smile and remained standing where he was as Tony and the others began poring over the notes. Thor was grinning broadly at his brother, who ignored him. Lyanne slid in close to Loki, near enough to hiss in his ear.

"What are you playing at?" she demanded.

"You shouldn't be so suspicious of me. After all, I did just save you quite an embarrassment." He turned to her with a knowing grin.

"I wouldn't have had to be _saved_ if you hadn't made a suggestion in the first place!"

"What bothers you most, Li, the fact you slept with me or the fact that you enjoyed it?" he sneered. She barely registered his use of a nickname for her.

"And what did it do for you?" she hissed back.

Loki looked surprised for a moment.

"You don't actually think I planned that to manipulate you, did you? After all, you _are_ the one who initiated it."

Now it was Lyanne's turn to be taken aback. Then she turned scarlet and looked away, crossing her arms in a protective gesture.

"Yes, I did," she admitted shamefully. "But now I'm worried. You don't exactly have a good reputation, Loki."

"Then why did you do it?"

She continued looking away, not answering. Loki got close and began whispering to her.

"Let's put it behind us for now," he said softly.

"I'm not sure I can do that."

"Then what do you suggest?"

She shook her head.

"I don't know," she sighed. She looked up into his face. For once there was no trace of a scowl or evil grin. His face merely showed - _was it possible? _- concern. She smiled in disbelief and his smirk immediately returned. She surreptitiously kissed her fingers and grazed it along Loki's cheek.

"Just… don't make me regret it."


	15. Hard to Trust

Lyanne left Loki alone to give her input to the notes she took. Even though she was still missing some vital information, Tony assured her that SHIELD would unlock the remaining articles for her to pore through. All the connections, assumptions, and details SHIELD had not been able to compile were lying there in her notes, thanks to Loki. It looked very good for both of them, and Lyanne felt incredible relief at her guilt finally starting to dissipate. The camaraderie she felt with her teammates was uplifting; she found she was grinning more, smiling, finally understanding half the jokes Tony told. Only one thing nagged at her: Natasha Romanoff. She would not take her eyes off of Lyanne. Even during their regular training exercises, while Lyanne practiced her hand-to-hand combat with Steve - and Natasha with Clint - she caught Romanoff staring daggers through her.

The group split up for showers before dinner - it had been a long, grueling day for everyone. As everyone filed out, Lyanne collected her things slowly, waiting for Loki, whom she heard breathing not far behind her. But it was not Loki who had stayed to talk.

"Lyanne," said Natasha coolly.

"Natasha!" she yelped, surprised.

Romanoff looked around the gymnasium to make sure they were alone before replying.

"How are your bruises?" she asked. Lyanne knew immediately she wasn't really concerned about how she was healing; she was curious as to why they had already vanished only a day later.

"Oh, um, I guess I wasn't really bruised up so bad," she tried, but she knew Romanoff could tell she was being dishonest; a lie is only good if both people believe it, and Lyanne could not have been more transparent.

"Really?' she asked. "Almost like… magic?"

"Yup," she said stiffly, trying to shut her down.

"I know," Natasha said quietly. She hadn't sounded threatening, but Lyanne's skin crawled nevertheless. She knew sometimes the most important things are what's _not_ said.

"Know what?" she asked stupidly.

Natasha rolled her eyes.

"Don't play stupid. Your manner around the god Loki is clear as glass. Your idiocy could jeopardize the entire team, you realize that?" Now her voice had a razor sharp edge to it - it was time to stop playing games.

"I'm trying to help him!"

"Bullshit," she scoffed.

Lyanne breathed out heavily, slowly.

"I've got things under control," she said. "Trust me."

"Right now, Miss Brooks, I find it extremely hard to do so."

And without another word, she stepped confidently out of the gym, her warning tone hanging in the air like a cloud.


	16. A Quiet Dinner

When Loki had finished bathing and went to join the others for dinner, it was to his surprise that the dining hall was empty except for Thor and Romanoff.

"Where is everyone?' asked Loki slowly.

"Finished already," Thor said thickly through a grand mouthful of what appeared to be chicken and potatoes. He never was very good at table manners. Loki took his seat and filled his plate, eating slowly and cringing every time his cutlery scratched against the dish. The sound was amplified by the silence in the room, save for Thor's noisy shoveling. Romanoff seemed cold and distant, but that was how Loki liked her best, when he did at all. Eventually Lyanne entered the room, her long hair still soaked from her shower.

"That was a long bath," Thor commented, trying to initiate some conversation. It appeared as though he was tired of the awkward silence, as well. Lyanne shrugged.

"I have long hair, takes a while to wash," was her reply.

Thor nodded, quiet filling the room again. Lyanne seemed to hesitate before she sat - Thor was at the end of the table closest to the head, with Natasha to his right. On the other side sat Loki, directly across from his brother. She calculated a moment before sitting next to him, across from Romanoff. Loki made no move to outwardly recognize where she sat, merely acting as though she was not there, but he had certainly noticed her hesitation around Natasha.

"So, brother," began Thor, "Quite an impressive day."

Loki smiled condescendingly, his eyebrows raised.

"Well, you always were easily impressed," he sniped. Thor scowled, but kept his smile.

"Don't deny it, Loki - something is changing in you. I like it, honestly - you are much more pleasant company. I'm sure Allfather would be pleased, as well."

"I don't do what I do to appease anyone but myself," he hissed.

"But containing your wicked impulses seems to satisfy you," Thor countered.

"Or giving in to other urges," muttered Natasha. She didn't look at Lyanne but the sharp tone in her voice was apparent. Luckily, Thor didn't pick up on it, however Loki had, and he gave Romanoff a curious look.

"Oh, to get into my head, you would certainly give anything, wouldn't you?"

"I'm already halfway there," Natasha smirked, with a significant look at Lyanne.

Thor paused, looking between the three of them.

"Yes," started Lyanne cleverly. "Thanks to Loki opening up and sharing his knowledge, SHIELD has quite a bit of new information - _important_ information. I don't think trusting him is such a terrible idea, do you?"

Romanoff smirked but knew she shouldn't aggravate the situation further. _Give them enough rope and they will hang themselves,_ she thought.

"You're right. SHIELD is very grateful, and so am I. Thank you."

Loki nodded curtly and it was clear he was agitated. They finished the rest of their meal in the returned silence until Natasha left, leaving the brothers and Lyanne in their quietude.

"Lyanne, you did quite well during hand-to-hand combat training today," tried Thor.

"Thanks," she said. She still felt strange, unlike herself, more so than usual. The events of the past few months, having started with her experimental injection, still felt foreign to her. Things kept getting more and more unreal with every passing day - it all came to a head with Loki earlier. _I slept with a god - not only that, a god I've known for only about 48 hours. And he's murdered people._ All she needed now was to hear about an alien invasion and she'd commit herself to a mental hospital.

Thor let out a bored, defeated breath and rose to leave. He crossed around the table, took Lyanne's hand, and kissed it gently.

"Thank you… for _everything_," he said. Lyanne finally understood - he was thanking her for her companionship with Loki. Did he know everything as well? Did Natasha tell him or did he figure it out for himself? But he gave no knowing smile, no wink, no hint that he knew anything other than the fact they had spent time together, discussing the information that Lyanne was able to put into files thanks to Loki. Thor left happily and the two of them returned to the remainder of their food.

"Did you tell them?" Loki asked immediately. His tone was not concerned.

"No," she said. "I don't think your brother knows, but Romanoff is sharp enough that she can sense something is up."

Loki met her eyes with his own.

"Do you want to end it now?" he asked bluntly.

"No," she said.

"Then do you want to tell them?"

"No, I don't want to do that either."

"What do you propose?" he asked. "Just let it go?"

"Should we be concerned that Romanoff knows? Probably," she admitted. "But as long as we keep our noses clean I don't think she'll do anything."

"Did she threaten you?"

"Technically, she didn't make any verbal threats, but her tone definitely implied it. All she really said was that I was risking everyone's lives and that she didn't trust me. You know, girl talk."

Loki laughed out loud, almost lyrically. Lyanne shivered. He noticed and leaned in to kiss her. She flinched at first and he balked.

"Sorry," she said. "Sometimes I'm still not used to being touched."

He nodded, but kissed her gently. She smiled as they broke apart.

"Am I making you regret anything yet?" he jabbed.

"No, but keep trying."

He laughed and kissed her again. This time she did not flinch.


	17. Sirens and Forest Fire

The sound of sirens woke Lyanne and Loki from their comfortable sleep. Since Lyanne had taken over guard duty of Loki for the day and into the evening (much to Thor's delight and Romanoff's displeasure), they had been left alone. It had only taken them about five minutes after their evening team discussion to run into his room and lock the door behind them. They both slept much better than normal.

"Loki, what's going on?" she asked, suddenly wide awake.

"You've been here longer than I have," he snapped, "Shouldn't you know?"

She snorted and they both leapt out of bed and got dressed. As they did so, they heard the quick, running march of soldiers through the hallway. Lyanne gave a worried look in Loki's direction before they exited and joined them. The sirens were almost deafening in the hallway; Loki cringed and Lyanne clapped her hands over her ears. He tried to yell something to her but she shook her head and motioned in the direction the soldiers were running. They followed.

After almost a full minute of running, the sirens had become less blaring (though still highly uncomfortable), and Lyanne felt a rough hand on her shoulder. She whipped around to face Dr. Banner.

"Bruce!" she exclaimed. "What's going on?"

"Security breach," he shouted over the sirens. "Sounds big. I'd suit up if I were you."

She agreed, but hesitated.

"And you?" she asked.

He looked grim, but nodded. "I'll wait till we get outside, though."

"Might be too late, Doc."

"Alright then," he submitted.

After a moment of concentration, he began to shift and change appearance from his normal, approachable self into the massive green monster known as the Hulk. Loki eyed him warily. Bruce / Hulk winked, then ran ahead, the soldiers cutting a wide path for him. Lyanne began to change herself, her claws reappearing, her legs becoming longer, faster, growing white and purple fur. When she was finished she looked back to Loki.

Suddenly, the air began to shimmer and ripple as armor appeared on his body, golden and dazzling. Upon his head, a brilliantly shining helm with large, curved horns materialized. In his hands he held a long, thin golden staff that also shone in the light, almost blinding. Overall the effect was stunning, if somewhat unnerving. Lyanne grinned, baring her teeth.

"What's that," she growled. "Your pimp cane?"

He snorted and shook his head derisively, grinning. She bent down and put her hands on the floor, curving her back upwards. Loki gave her a curious look.

"I run pretty fast," she said. "Hop on."

Loki gave her a look somewhere between amusement and incredulity.

"Are you _jesting_ with me?" he laughed.

Lyanne rolled her eyes and began to run ahead of him; she hadn't lied, she _was_ fast. Loki was a quick runner, but found it impossible to keep up, especially with his heavy golden armor on, and all too soon she was lost in the crowd. Loki kept his pace, and found himself much faster than the soldiers, which was a small comfort. Suddenly, the defense force parted around something, and Loki nearly collided with Lyanne, who had been crouched down on the ground on all fours. She gave him a significant look.

"Oh, all right," he relented, and sat on her back like she was a beast of burden. She took off and he had to grasp onto her shoulders to keep from losing balance. She was _fast._ Her back arched underneath him as she ran, her flexible spine almost like one of the Earth animals he read about called a cheetah. Flex, unflex, rise, and fall - her monstrous form was fast and powerful, and soon Loki was able to find a rhythm to her movements that enabled him to ride more comfortably.

"I'm not sure if this is awkward or just kinky," he laughed in her ear.

She laughed back, a harsh, cadenced growl that undulated in her throat. Soon enough they reached the thick metal doors that led outside - there were no security checkpoints here, merely an outpouring of guards and soldiers. Immediately they heard gunfire and shouting, then, oddly enough, the sound of metal on metal. A loud _boom_ and a familiar streak of light from the sky illuminated the large field and forest beyond, where some kind of graceful figures were weaving in and out of sight. Lyanne launched herself and Loki towards the commotion, but suddenly Nick Fury appeared in the middle of the field, directing the soldiers back.

"Avengers have it!" he yelled. "Protect the perimeter! The building! Guard the damned building!" He took one look at Loki and Lyanne and she swore she caught a glimpse of a smile creasing his hardened face, but it was difficult to tell in the dark.

"You two!" he shouted. "Get over there, join Banner and Stark!"

Lyanne nodded and bolted towards the action once more, the soldiers retreating to guard SHIELD headquarters. She could only assume that Fury truly thought the Avengers could handle it; there must not be many opponents. On the other hand, maybe Fury just didn't want any of his most valuable team members getting hit by a stray bullet from one of the soldiers. Some of them did look a little green. Lyanne was concerned that there were only two others besides themselves in the battle; the others obviously would not have been fast enough to get here before a giant green monster, a man in a rocket suit, and a god in golden armor riding another monster. Lyanne felt it must have been quite the sight, but at the moment could not dwell on the hilarity of it. They reached the edge of the forest where Hulk was uprooting trees to get at the quickly dashing opponents; Tony was acting as aerial backup, trying to provide light by blasting the ground with energy. Suddenly, a being rushed at them from the side. In an instant, before she even had time to think, Lyanne lashed out with her fangs and caught the enemy by the throat. She used her momentum to throw the opponent against a tree, but immediately began coughing; whatever she had bitten, it had been _hairy._ She started retching and Loki looked down in concern. She waved a hand dismissively and lunged to the enemy just rising from the ground.

Three more opponents came rushing at her, but it was hard to see what they looked like in the dark. Loki blew a ray of fiery magic towards them, and for an instant it lit up the night. There were two men and a woman dodging the magic bolt, as well as the heavy, bearded man she had thrown against the tree. It was too difficult to make out their faces, but there was light just long enough for her to see the heavy man's facial hair had blood in it. She had punctured something.

Tony and Banner came rushing over to their aid as Loki swung his staff in the direction of the warriors. The sound of clashing metal rang out as their weapons met his; a sudden bell of laughter rang out from a lean figure to her right. She swung her arm as hard as she could, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying to the ground, where Tony came down and aimed a bolt of energy towards him. He rolled away quickly and the bolt lit up the night again; suddenly, Loki dug his legs into her and she yelped.

"Wait!" he cried. "WAIT!"

"Loki?" said one of the warriors, the male with black hair.

They all froze, panting. Lyanne could taste blood in her mouth - it was not her own. A small patch of ground was burning from where Tony had hit it with his energy weapon.

"Hogun?" replied Loki, incredulous.

Out of nowhere, the sky lit up with lightning and Lyanne could feel Loki tense on her back. A mere second later, Thor had landed beside them, with Rogers and Agents Barton and Romanoff bringing up the rear.

"Just in time to miss everything," muttered Tony, the face of his suit pulled back since the fighting had stopped.

"You look ridiculous," laughed the wiry warrior Lyanne had hit with her arm, gesturing towards Loki. The warriors all started laughing and Loki pointed his staff directly in their faces. Thor intercepted his rage by stepping in front of the staff himself, his hands held up. Everybody tensed and Tony raised his hands in preparation for another shot.

"These are friends!" he exclaimed, before Tony or anyone else (his eyes lingered over Lyanne the longest) could do anything.

"Why are they attacking us then?" asked Rogers.

"We came for help," panted the heavy man still lying on the ground. "And those men started shooting metal at us!"

"Help?" asked Thor, kneeling by his apparent friend's side. "Why? What has happened in Asgard?"

The four warriors all gave him heavy looks.


	18. Asgard Taken

"Lady Sif and the Warriors Three" were what they called themselves; Sif, the lone woman of the group, was tending to the bearded man Volstagg's wounds. Lyanne felt guilty she had bitten him now, but Thor tried to relieve her of this by reminding her she didn't know they were allies. Still, she was lucky - or rather, Volstagg was lucky - that he was an Asgardian. A bite like the one she gave would have killed a weaker man.

"_Also lucky he has such a thick beard," _Thor had added jovially.

Fandral, the wiry one, had taken quite a hit to the chest from Lyanne, but he didn't seem at all angered by it. In fact, he had kept getting closer and closer to where she stood next to Loki as Hogun filled the group in as to what had happened in Asgard. Lyanne looked over to him, and his small goatee jiggled as he gave her a warm grin. She did not react, merely glanced once more to Hogun as he finished his tale. They were quiet for a moment as they absorbed all the information.

A powerful woman calling herself The Enchantress had infiltrated the palace of Asgard. Using her magic and something called a Soul Gem that she had stolen from the Hall of Relics, she had enslaved dozens of Asgardian warriors before an alarm could be raised. She proceeded to attack Odin and Frigga with her military and imprisoned them. While the four warriors had tried to defeat her, they could not fight her army.

"They are our brothers," Hogun had explained. "Enchanted. They do not have control over their actions - we cannot kill them for that."

Odin and Frigga were imprisoned in the same cell Loki had been in; only this time, the magic Enchantress used far surpassed Odin's.

"It's the Soul Gem," Thor said with wonder. "No one's magic could surpass the Allfather's. Maybe not even Loki's."

Lyanne expected Loki to sneer at that, but he remained impassive.

"Tell me she doesn't have the red one," he breathed, finally looking up.

Hogun shook his head.

"The green one, which allowed her to take possession over the Asgardian warriors."

Loki sighed in half-relief. While still terrible, things were not insurmountable.

"Luckily Odin Allfather was wise enough to separate all of the gems and conceal them. Amora - the Enchantress - was only able to find the one," Fandral added.

"Speaking of lucky, how did you escape?" asked Tony.

"When we heard the commotion, we went straight to Odin first. He used his magic to shield our minds and hearts from the gem - but it was too late for the others. He then gave us possession of this," explained Hogun, lifting a small, beautifully cut purple jewel. Thor gasped.

"Are you mad?" he shouted. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"

"Yes," Hogun said. "But it was the only way to warp to Midgard."

Thor turned red and looked horrified.

"Where are the other gems?" he asked solemnly.

"Beyond the reach of others," Volstagg replied. "Allfather must have seen this coming."

"Do you think she plans to reassemble the Gauntlet?" asked Loki quietly.

"I do," said Hogun grimly. "Her move for power is not limited to Asgard."

While they all pondered this information, something kept nagging at the back of Lyanne's mind. Something Loki had said when he gave her information, something she hadn't included in her notes - _we both need each other very much._ She tried to shake her head to clear it - that would have to come later. As of right now, nothing was adding up right - the information Loki had provided had not included any of this. The others seemed to have noticed this, as well - they were all staring at Loki suspiciously. But Lyanne was going to give him the benefit of the doubt, against her better judgment. He must have had his reasons.

"Loki," asked Tony, "Why didn't you tell any of this to us?"

Once again, Tony had opened his big mouth. Lyanne looked to Loki dismally, but was surprised to find him smirking.

"I truly gave you all I knew. That the Earth was in danger from otherworldly beings and an ancient artifact. I was just incorrect about which ones."

"_Just incorrect?"_ Tony nearly shouted. "You were completely off the mark!"

"Amora is making a move to reassemble the Infinity Gauntlet, and with her new Asgardian army she will threaten the Earth. That was the information I gave - powerful magical weapon, invasion from another world," argued Loki.

"But the Chitauri, the Tesseract…"

"Hardly important, in the grand picture. The warning I gave was quite accurate, considering I had no inkling that it would be the Enchantress and the Soul Gems."

"_Accurate?"_ he shouted.

"Enough!" yelled Thor. "This argument is getting us nowhere! Loki, brother," he pleaded, "Did you truly have no clues about Amora? Or the gems?"

Loki stared at his brother for a moment, considering. He answered slowly.

"What I know is that the being Thanos and his minion intend to conquer the universe. That is who I made the pact with. Seeing as how I failed, Thanos is most displeased, and my life is in danger. Allfather last had possession of the Tesseract - they would be likely to find another Asgardian to infiltrate the palace and steal it, and make another attempt at Earth, where their greatest threat lies. After reducing it to ashes, they would make their move on the universe. That was the report I gave, and it is a truthful one."

There was a moment in silence where all anyone could do was breathe, and even that took effort. Loki was right - he had provided incredible information and educated assumptions that had been remarkably close; it would have been impossible for him to predict what had finally ended up happening.

"Then why did they change their tactic?" asked Banner. "If the Tesseract is there, why haven't they come for us yet?"

"That one I can answer," said Sif, finally speaking up. "Once Thor and Loki had been sent to Earth, Allfather concealed the Tesseract and hid it away. It would not be easy to find again."

"But he did the same thing with the Soul Gems," argued Thor. "Wouldn't it be easier to find one incredible object, rather than six?"

"Yes, but you know as well as I do that the Gauntlet's power far outweighs that of the Tesseract. Finding those gems will be more difficult, but will have a much better reward," she answered.

"What can we do?" asked Rogers. "If this is all true, how many gems would this _Enchantress_ be able to find? And how soon?"

"It's impossible to tell," responded Fandral. "While the green gem was held in the Hall of Relics, and was easy to find, I would not doubt that she will find another. Allfather hid them well, but power is very seductive, and if she truly has this Thanos for an ally, she has a distinct advantage."

"But we have the purple gem," reminded Thor. "She would have to fight us desperately for it."

"Yes, and she will, but in meantime, any other gems she finds will make it more and more impossible to defeat her."

Thor sighed and ran his fingers back through his hair.

"What do you propose?" he asked.

"Invade Asgard as soon as possible," said Hogun. "With an army of our own."

"What army?" asked Thor.

"The Avengers," he said.


	19. Battle with the Enchantress

"Are you ready?" Fury asked.

The strange mix of heroes all glanced at each other. _Will we ever truly be ready?_

"We are," announced Thor.

"Remember, try to use stealth, you're not going to be a match for an entire Asgardian army. Once you're inside, release Odin and Frigga, get to Amora, and end this as quickly as possible. You have my permission to use… whatever force necessary." Fury looked to Thor for approval. He nodded. Now was not the time to be diplomatic about the possibility of destroying half a palace, or even a city.

"Good luck," he said, backing away.

Hogun nodded to the others, palming the purple gem tightly in his fist. They all began to join hands in a chain. Hogun, Fandral, Volstagg, Sif, Thor, Loki, Lyanne, Tony, Bruce, Steve, Clint, and finally, Natasha. Lyanne began breathing heavily - small battles were one thing, but sneaking into a palace with an army a dozen times bigger than theirs, and each soldier three times as strong was suicide. She felt Loki squeeze her hand tightly. She looked to his face for reassurance but found the same worry she felt reflected on his face.

"Ready?" asked Hogun. "One…"

"Are you scared?" she asked Loki.

"Two…"

"Only anxious," he said. She smiled. "Hold tight…"

"THREE!"

Immediately Lyanne felt her insides squeeze and distort - her vision was completely blurred and bright iridescent colors flashed past as they zoomed through a dizzying tunnel of radiance. She felt she was going at the speed of light, and the pressure was building, intense, almost unbearable, and when she thought she would finally scream they were deposited roughly onto a marble floor, collapsing instantly and panting. The Asgardians righted themselves quickly enough, but the others all needed help. Loki bent down and grabbed Lyanne's arm to lift her from the floor. She accepted gratefully and held herself against him for balance. She didn't care if anyone saw and neither, apparently, did Loki. His lips grazed her cheek gently and she began to collect herself. The others were righting themselves, as well.

"First move," Thor whispered, "Rescue Allfather."

They nodded silently and began jogging swiftly down a marble-columned hall. Lyanne internally cursed the open, echoing space, sure that the others were doing the same thing. They turned right down a smaller passageway lit with burning braziers. A sudden sound came billowing from another passageway; the sound of clanking armor.

"_Loki,"_ Thor hissed as quietly as he could.

Loki stepped forward and, concentrating, formed the illusion of an empty hallway in front of them as a form of concealment. The soldiers marched by, glancing down the hall and, seeing nothing, continued down another passageway. Loki held the image all around them until the sound of their armor and footsteps died away completely.

"Let's move," Thor motioned.

The warriors dove in and out from behind columns, sneaking quietly through small passageways and down steadily into what Lyanne was sure were underground chambers. The air got noticeably colder and there were much fewer braziers burning a pathway for them. After several long minutes, Thor motioned for them to stop and quietly peeped around a corner. The narrow, cold wing was full of a large multitude of guards, pacing back and forth in front of what Thor was sure was Odin's cell. He fell back quickly as Loki raised another magical illusion to shield them.

"Dozens," Thor breathed. "My father is well guarded."

"What do you suggest?" asked Clint.

"We can't kill them," said Fandral. "They are our own men!"

"Do you think they would rather kill us or die honorably so that we may pass?" asked Hogun bluntly. They all grimaced but he was right, as distasteful as the reality of it was.

"Very well," said Thor, "But we must at least _try _not to harm any of them permanently. Banner, I suggest you transform - Lyanne, you too. Everyone get ready."

She nodded, suddenly frightened and shaking. This was it.

"Loki, take down the shield when you are ready - they are not close enough to see us immediately."

He nodded, not bitter about taking orders from his brother for once. He slowly brought his hands down and the image of the empty hallway gradually faded away. Banner had already transformed into the Hulk - but Lyanne had hesitated. The others were busy readying themselves, unsheathing swords, a hammer, adjusting arrows and bullets. Loki turned to her, his golden armor reflecting the small fire of a nearby brazier.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

She shook her head.

"Now is not the time to get nervous," he said with an edge in his tone. "Not now, Li."

She looked up into his brilliant blue eyes and saw not just the Trickster there, the mischief-maker, but rather a warrior, noble and fierce and determined. She threw her arms about his neck and kissed him deeply. He returned it with equal fervor; it was long past the time to care about who saw them anymore. When they broke apart, the entire group was watching them, several with their mouths open. Thor's eyes were twinkling. Lyanne breathed deeply and began transforming into her bestial form, baring her teeth and claws and rolling her neck to warm up.

"Let's go," said Thor.

Hulk leapt out first, smashing the enchanted Asgardian soldiers against each other and to the sides, the rest of the team following behind him. Loki used his staff to shoot powerful beams of green light into a group of advancing guards; they immediately crumpled in a heap. Thor was using his hammer to hit the sides of their helmets and knock them unconscious. Hawkeye was launching small, thin-tipped arrows that resembled darts into the crowd. They were doused with a heavily concentrated sleep-serum that took out even the Asgardians. Black Widow was working a sleeper hold on one guard and kicking another away with her legs. Lyanne grabbed her attacker by his throat and threw him against the marble wall. The battle continued for what seemed like an eternity; punching, slamming, fighting, kicking, biting and tossing was all anyone knew for the several long minutes of battle that passed. Finally, Hulk knocked the last aware soldier against the wall, quickly remedying his cognizant state. Panting, they turned back to the prison cell guarding Odin and Frigga. Lyanne glanced up into his face and shuddered.

Odin was tall, older but heavily built, a golden metal eye patch covering an old war wound. Frigga rose from her chair, clasping her hands in front of her in admiration.

"How do we set you free, father?" asked Thor.

"Loki," said Odin quietly, ignoring his older son. "My beautiful boy. Come closer."

Loki tilted his head in confusion, then stepped back.

"No," he said quietly.

Lyanne's stomach turned. Was he betraying them all? She panicked and leaned towards him but he shook his head with a warning.

"You are not the Allfather," he challenged.

"What is this nonsense?" Odin shouted. "Set me free!"

"Do as your father says," pleaded Frigga. "Please!"

Loki shook his head. Furious, Thor made a grasp at Loki's staff, but he leapt away nimbly and bared his teeth.

"FOOL!" cried Thor.

"You idiot, Thor, I'm trying to…"

"Enough of this," snapped Tony. He grabbed Loki by the scruff of his cloak and shoved him towards the prison cell. Loki gasped, but had no time for more of a reaction before Thor clutched his back and twisted him so that his staff broke the shimmering cell way in front of them, letting loose Odin and Frigga. Loki's staff was immediately yanked free from his grasp and he was thrown backwards onto the ground.

Immediately, cruel, cold, feminine laughter filled the hall. The walls and floors began to swim in front of them, hazy, until they melted away and the group of heroes found themselves in a large, empty amphitheater with a tall ceiling. The laughter continued to flow around them until a golden glow in the center of the room collected and formed the graceful figure of a beautiful blonde woman. She was holding Loki's spear.

"Thank you for the gift, Trickster," she said coldly.

"Bitch," he snapped. He made an attempt to lunge at her, hands glowing with magic, but she pointed the golden staff directly into his face. He snarled and backed away. Lyanne glanced behind the frightening woman - there, bound and gagged against a thick pillar near the far back wall, were the real Odin and Frigga, powerless and protected by a magical force field. She gasped, but the others had seen, too.

"Now, I'll take that gem from your fingers," she said, motioning to Hogun.

"Never!" he spat. Loki grabbed the gem and made it vanish into thin air, using his magic to conceal it from her reach.

"So be it," she said calmly. She aimed the spear straight at Hogun's heart, but Thor tossed his hammer with all his might and it slammed into her. It returned to his hands quickly, but she whirled around and shot a jet of magic straight at him. He ducked to avoid it, but it hit Volstagg straight in his chest and he fell down onto the ground, twitching but alive. Immediately she sent other bolts of the magic out, and all hell broke loose. They tried to advance on her, but she nimbly teleported out of the way, across the room, disappearing and reappearing instantaneously, laughing coldly. In a matter of seconds she had immobilized not only Fandral and Hogun, but Captain America and Hawkeye as well. They were fully aware, like Volstagg, but could not move.

"Why not just kill us?" roared Thor, taunting.

"Oh," she giggled evilly, "I just have too much fun playing with my future pets to really hurt them… for now. And soon you shall all be my slaves."

Thor launched himself at her from across the room, bringing his hammer down, but she sidestepped, teleported, and in an instant Thor's hammer came crashing down on the marble, smashing the floor to pieces. By the time they had followed her movements, she had successfully managed to immobilize Black Widow, too. Sif suddenly stepped out from behind a pillar and sliced her blade across Amora's back. She shrieked but turned around and slammed the staff into her, knocking her down and stopping her. Hulk and Tony charged Amora immediately.

She laughed as Tony blasted his beams of energy at her, absorbing them with the golden staff and redirecting them instantly into the Hulk. He roared and collapsed in a heap. Tony tried to fly to higher ground but she teleported to a spot in the air above him and came crashing down upon his armor, yanking up his mask to expose his face. Loki shot beams of magic to stun her, but she was too quick. Tony tried to outmaneuver her, twisting and turning in the large, enclosed stadium, but she brought the tip of staff against his face and he smashed into the floor as she delicately floated down. Thor attempted to hit her with Mjolnir once more, but she lithely twisted and teleported around him. He tumbled to the ground and brought his hammer up to counter her blow. She grunted as his foot caught her in the stomach. Lyanne lunged and grabbed Amora from behind, but she suddenly grew boiling hot under her finger tips. A force field of burning energy surrounded her and the three remaining mobile warriors were thrown back. Thor's hammer was blown across the room and he lay temporarily dazed.

She snarled and launched herself at Thor before he had the opportunity to recuperate. He lifted his hand to call his hammer but it was too late; the spear knocked him across the face and he lay still as Mjolnir crashed to the floor.

Now it was just Loki and Lyanne. Amora turned around to face them with menace in her eyes.

"Now would be a good time to surrender," she laughed, her blonde hair waving behind her as she tossed her head back. Loki took half a step forward with a smile on his face, holding up a finger.

"Half a moment, if you would," he smirked. Amora's grin vanished and she stared at him with disdain, but Loki ignored it and took Lyanne aside. He stared into her eyes and, once again, unspoken words passed between them.

_Letting go of your imagined control_

_The key that unlocks your true power_

_You can be as cold as I am_

_But will you fight it?_

_We need each other very much_

It made sense now.

"Loki," she whispered. "I'm ready."

He slid his hands up her back and rested his fingers on her collarbone. Immediately she felt energy surge through her; Loki's magic. He needed an instrument to channel the strongest of his powers, and Lyanne was the perfect apparatus. Her abilities combined with his - the key to his redemption, and hers, coming down to this moment. Her skin felt hot and uncomfortable, but Loki's fingers dug deeper into her flesh. She gasped as she felt the power of his magic fill her like a wave; she was ready. Loki released her, spent, and leaned back against a column, panting with effort. Snarling, she flexed her claws, bared her teeth, and roared, spittle flying from her razor-sharp fangs. Amora sneered and laughed.

"I'll make you regret that, mortal."

She swung Loki's staff in her direction, shooting a fiery blast of magic, but Lyanne, full of Loki's power, evaded it easily, tucked, rolled, and in an instant had sunken her teeth deeply into Amora's calf. The Enchantress screamed in pain, swinging the staff, but Lyanne dodged it easily once more and crouched down, her fur bristling, bloody fangs bared. Amora shot a bolt of magic at her again, much larger, faster, more powerful. Lyanne had no time to dodge it; she concentrated as hard as she could and put up a shielding barrier around herself. It was not as strong as one Loki could have made; the magic jet shattered it easily, but Lyanne remained unhurt. Amora leapt into the air and came crashing down with the staff, swinging it deftly and quickly, nearly unavoidable. Her graceful dance with the weapon was staggering; Lyanne suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of fear. She crouched down, concentrating again, attempting to force magic back at Amora, but the Enchantress kicked her straight in the face. She flew backwards on the floor, pain ripping through her shoulder blades and tail. She righted herself and looked back towards her enemy and her heart skipped a beat.

Everything suddenly seemed to go in slow motion. Amora was lifting the staff into the air, pulling it backwards to aim the sharp end towards Loki's heart. He was helpless to guard against the attack, exhausted from transferring all his power to Lyanne. She leapt up painfully slowly, the pads of her bare feet slapping against the marble floor as she ran as fast as she could to save Loki. The sharp end of the staff was coming down, glinting in the firelight, time slowed even more, Loki looked to Lyanne before his own weapon could make impact against him. Using all of her strength, she launched herself in front of him, timing it perfectly, and the sharp end of the spear drove itself through her ribcage and into her heart.

She collapsed immediately on the floor, her claws wrapped around the spear in a viselike grip. Loki leapt to her side before Amora could reach her, grasped the weapon, channeled the power he had given Lyanne from her and shot a bolt of devastating magic straight into the Enchantress. She screamed as the magic hit her, too slow to raise her defenses. She flew backwards onto the floor, her body smoldering, her eyes rolling in her head. The others immediately regained control of themselves and surrounded Amora, weapons aimed directly at her face. She was beaten.

But so was Lyanne.

"No, no, no, no, no no no no no," Loki kept repeating. He yanked his spear free from her chest and blood came gushing from her wound. He laid his hand upon it, whispering magic, but it was no use; his power was too drained, the wound too deep. She was quickly losing her life. She morphed back into her normal human form, smiling despite the pain. Loki wiped his hand across her cheek, leaving a bloody smear. They all heard Amora's cold cackling start once more and turned towards her.

"Oh, Loki, Loki, Loki," she admonished mockingly. "Brought down by a mere mortal? Have you no shame?"

"I'm going to kill you with my bare hands!" he screamed. He would have done so immediately, but did not want to leave Lyanne's side. _Later,_ he promised himself, _Later._ She laughed again, condescendingly.

"Do you wish to save her?" she asked.

Everyone but Loki was silent.

"Yes," he said immediately.

"Then give me the purple gem."

"What?"

"Give me what I want and I will repair her wounds."

"Never!" he shrieked.

"Her life or the Soul Gem. Which is more precious to you?"

"L-L-Loki," stuttered Lyanne. "D-d-d-don't… give it…"

But Loki made the gem reappear instantly and tossed it to the Enchantress before anyone could stop him. Thor tried to snatch it, but it slipped between his fingers and Amora caught it instantly, laughing.

"Oh Loki," she snickered. "You of all people should know how to spot a liar."

And with that, she vanished in a blaze of fire and smoke.

"NO!" he screamed. Anguish and defeat and unbearable pain ripped through him. He _should_ have known, but he was desperate. He clung to Lyanne tightly, the tears gushing from his eyes and onto her face. She reached up and soothed him, brushing back his hair. The other Avengers gathered, unsure, sick with sorrow. A muffled sound came from the back of the amphitheater and Thor suddenly remembered why they came here to risk their lives. He unleashed Odin and Frigga from their bonds with his hammer, the force field having vanished, weeping silently and returning to Lyanne's side. She was pale, fading quickly, her fingers barely moving at all anymore. Loki continued weeping onto her body, his body wracked with sobs. Odin approached and shoved his way to her side, as well.

"Give her up, Loki," he said quietly.

His adopted son looked up into his face.

"W-what?"

"Give her up. Now. Hand her to me."

Loki hesitated at first, not wanting to let her go, but gently tipped her body into Odin Allfather's waiting arms. She was limp and unresponsive, her chest hardly rising with her breaths anymore. Her fingers left his and she closed her eyes.

Odin began chanting quickly, grasping onto her body tightly, illuminating it with a soft golden light. Her skin flushed and her wound began to stitch. Odin Allfather's magic was an incredible force; they just hoped it was enough to save a life. When his chanting was over and her wound healed, they waited with bated breath to see if she would awaken. She didn't.

Loki bent over himself, curling onto the floor and screaming in anguish. Thor comforted him with his arms around his back and the others joined in, fresh tears on their faces. Odin sighed heavily and began muttering magic once more; this time, a shimmering, glittering golden shield surrounded her, identical to the one that surrounded him during the Odinsleep. Then her breathing started.

They yelped in delight, shouting and grinning - but still she did not wake. Loki watched her, unsure, but Odin shook his head.

"I have put her in a sleep similar to mine," he said. "Whether or not she awakens is up to her now."

Loki nodded, gulping and hiccupping from his sobs.

"And Loki?" Odin said. Loki glanced back up into his father's face.

"I am proud of you."


	20. All I've Got

Loki sat by Lyanne's bedside, reaching through the golden fog of the Odinsleep to grasp her hand, examining it lazily. Her normally chewed fingernails were growing back and he spent the next minute running his own hands down hers. She didn't flinch from his touch in her sleep, didn't shiver or smile. Although he was so close to her, never had she felt so far away. The feeling was disorienting and he tried to think of something else.

"Loki?"

He turned around to face Thor, who looked concerned, burdened.

"May I enter, brother?" he asked.

Loki nodded.

"How is she?'

"Still nothing," he sighed.

"It's only been a week," Thor tried. "Father's been in much longer rests for much less."

"Yes," Loki nodded, "But what about mortals?"

Thor looked down for a moment.

"I don't know," he said, but caught Loki's dismal face. "She's tougher than she looks, though."

He smiled as a show of good faith, but Loki merely smirked and exhaled loudly. They were quiet for a few moments while Thor pulled up a chair beside his brother and sat down with a sigh.

"You know, I always used to think mother was a fool for staying by father's bedside so long when he was in the Odinsleep," Loki said stoically.

"Me too," Thor admitted. This had gotten Loki's attention. He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"I did," he continued. "I thought 'Why bother, he won't wake up just because you're there weeping for him, it's pointless to pine,' but…" He stopped, shaking his head lightly.

"But?" Loki questioned. Thor gave a half-smile.

"But then I met Jane Foster."

Loki snickered.

"What?"

"You haven't seen her for months," he said.

"It does not make my feelings any less."

Loki shrugged with a scowl. How could Thor's feelings about a mortal woman possibly… but he froze. He was in the _exact same position._ He immediately started laughing, leaning over and putting his hand across his forehead, massaging his temples with his fingertips.

"What is so funny?" asked Thor, concern in his voice. He felt he would never get used to Loki's strange, sometimes maniacal laughter. It was almost chilling.

"Here we are," Loki said. "A couple of Gods, brought down by mortal women. Never did I think I would see the day."

Thor joined his laughter at this, he didn't know why, but it felt good. Much of the pressure that had been haunting him for the past few weeks began to alleviate, if only a little bit, and by the time their chuckles subsided Thor felt oddly better. He clapped a hand to his brother's back, but when Loki looked up he saw he had the faint glimmer of tears in his eyes. Loki always had been a bit of a crier, but even this surprised Thor. Loki caught his look of incredulity and immediately straightened himself, wiping his eyes on the backs of his hands with one last laugh and a sigh.

"Are you alright?" Thor asked.

Loki shook his head. Thor put his head down and patted his brother on the back once more, rubbing his bony shoulder blades for comfort.

"I have to laugh because otherwise I'll lose it again," he said sadly.

"Loki, I… I'm not sure what to say."

"Don't say anything," he snapped. "I feel weak enough as it is without your pity."

Thor leaned back, crossing his arms, disturbed by Loki's sudden return to his normal, bitter self.

"I thought we were past this, brother," he sighed.

Loki said nothing, only continued rubbing his temples with his delicate fingers.

"I understand you," he continued, despite Loki's disbelieving huff. "I know you think that my love for Jane is foolish, idiotic. Maybe even a bit impulsive. From the outside looking in, I can see why you would think that. But being there - with the person you care for - it's much more complicated and different than people can understand. Consider the fact that two weeks ago it would have been impossible for me to fathom that you could ever feel anything but repulsion for mortals. And here you are, in love with one."

"I didn't _say_ I was in love with her," he shot.

"Why not? She is obviously in love with you," Thor returned, puzzled.

"How can you tell?" Loki asked in a suddenly softer tone. "We didn't even tell anyone about our… transgressions."

Thor shook his head with a half-smile.

"Loki, she didn't _have_ to say it. And nor do you."

He stared at Thor blankly.

"She gave her life for you," he continued, leaning forward. "Lyanne literally tried to surrender her life for yours. That, dear brother, is love, at its deepest."

"Suicide?"

"Sacrifice."

Loki scowled, looking down at Lyanne's soft hands, unresponsive in his own. He squeezed them. Nothing.

"If she loved me, she would return," he snapped, dropping her hand.

"Loki, it's not black-and-white like that. You must give her time."

"I suppose that's all I've got," he resigned.


	21. Lyanne Wakes

Loki lay slung over the bed, the lower half of his body still in the chair alongside of it. One of his hands was under his face, the other lightly grasping one of Lyanne's. He had fallen asleep like this hours ago, trying to coax his friend - _no, lover… wait, friend? Significant other? What is she to me?_ - from her magic sleep. It was no use - no matter what words he said or how he placed his fingers upon her, she did not stir or react in any way. Loki had given up an hour before dawn, succumbing to his own slumber after a valiant fight. His hand had been clutching hers the entire night, unresponsive. Until now.

Lyanne's fingers began to twitch, slowly at first, then just as suddenly began to flex and clench. Her feet shook slightly and she tossed her head lightly from side to side, fretful. Loki opened his eyes, wakened by the sound of her stirring, then jumped up as he realized what was going on. He clutched her arm, pleading. Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she sat up quickly, gasping, clutching her racing heart. It appeared she was trying to scream, but no noises were coming from her throat and all she could do was gulp air. Loki touched a hand to her face and she jumped back, curling into a ball and keeping a wary eye on him. Confused, he tried to approach her, but she was shaking so badly he was afraid to touch her again. He tried talking to her instead.

"Lyanne," he said softly, "It's alright, I'm here. You're alive. It's ok."

She kept shaking and panting, keeping herself in a tight ball, but stared at Loki with interest through the curtain of her disheveled hair. He reached out a tentative hand and she tensed, but as soon as his touch was on her shoulder he felt her begin to relax. Then out of nowhere, she began crying hysterically. He jumped back, afraid he had hurt her, but she righted herself on the bed and attempted to climb out of it. Her legs collapsed beneath her from disuse, but Loki caught her quickly and lifted her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face deep into his chest, still weeping. Loki felt incredibly awkward but kept her close in his embrace. After a couple of minutes, Lyanne finally tried to speak, but her voice was hoarse and Loki had to set her back down and grab her some water. She gulped it down in a matter of seconds and gasped, trying to stand once more. Loki lifted her and sat down in the chair with her in his lap. She curled up with her arms about his waist and her mouth against his neck. She kissed him there repeatedly and he shivered - every time her lips touched him it felt like someone had thrown a match against his skin. Finally, when her tears had subsided and she regained control of her voice, Lyanne began to talk.

"I could hear you, Loki - in my sleep - almost everything you said."

"Truly?"

"Yes," she whispered, kissing his neck again. "I wanted to talk to you so desperately but I couldn't even move - it was like a horrible nightmare."

"This whole week has been a nightmare for everyone," he said. He felt the tears begin to sting his eyes but he pushed them away.

"Everyone?"

"Yes. Come to think of it, I should probably tell them you're awake," he said, beginning to stand.

"No," she muttered, "Not yet."

He tried to ask why but her kisses on his neck again and the way she clutched at his Asgardian clothing was all he needed to know.


	22. Bath

Loki helped Lyanne out of bed and to the bath, her legs better but still not functioning properly.

"Well, at least you're regaining use of them quicker than I could have hoped," Loki said, drawing hot water and dumping too much soap into the tub. He used to have servants that did this for him, and he still wasn't used to the chore himself.

"Anything you can do to speed up the process?" she asked.

Loki shook his head.

"Your legs aren't really injured, just stiff from disuse. You just need a little more time. Although, as I said, you're recovering faster than expected."

"Must've been the, ah, _exercise,"_ she said with a devilish grin and wink. "Although I'm sure the hot bath will work wonders, too." She removed her robe and slipped into the water, sucking in her breath to cope with the heat. Loki's stomach turned, but not in a bad way - it reminded him of hunger, but not quite. Something more - _pleasurable._ He let the feeling pass, but realized that Lyanne herself was probably starving.

"You will eat with me after this," he said. "I'm sure the others will be dining, as well."

Lyanne lifted an eyebrow at the demand but was far too relaxed to make a quip. She tilted her head back against the rim of the tub and closed her eyes with a smile. Loki ran his fingers long the rim, then dipped them in the water, stroking her arm. She opened her eyes again, grasped his hand, and kissed it gently. He swept her wet hair back from her forehead, then let his fingers slide lazily down her neck and shoulders, resting on the smooth, flat scar where the spear had pierced her chest. He ran his fingertips along it gently, unfocused.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes," he said blankly.

"Loki?"

He looked up from his daze and noticed Lyanne was leaning forward, concern on her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," he snapped, annoyed. "Stop asking, it's irritating."

"Well, _there_ you are," she said coolly. "I was wondering why you were being so nice before."

Loki scoffed and leaned back, rolling his eyes.

"Are you complaining?" he sighed. "It's tiresome."

"No," she laughed. "But earlier, you were almost… docile."

Loki scowled at her, but she was right. He _was_ getting softer. He was angry for a moment, but let it pass. _All good things in time,_ he thought.

"Forgive me," he mocked.

"It's good to have you back," she said softly.

"I could say the same for you," he said, trying to go easy on her.

"I meant your usual, unpleasant self," she said, not unkindly. "You can be very snide and cold when you want to be - other times gentle, loving. I never know what you're going to be next."

"You might want to pick which side of me you're in love with before you sleep with me again," he shot, not really thinking.

Lyanne blushed. She opened her mouth to say something but Loki shushed her.

"Hurry up and finish and we'll go tell the others you're awake," he said.


	23. Absolute Power

Lyanne tried as best as she could to walk quietly into the dining hall, but it was made rather difficult by the fact her legs were still numb from her mid-thighs down. Even with Loki helping her, one arm slung around her back and under her arms, the other clutching the arm of hers that was wrapped around his shoulder, it was tiring and difficult. But it was worth the struggle as they entered the dining hall and were met by excited whoops and grins, Tony grabbing her away from Loki and swinging her around, Clint kissing her cheek, Thor lifting her up in his arms - but they settled down a bit when they realized Lyanne still couldn't walk by herself.

"Is there anything that can be done?" Lyanne asked.

"I told you, no," Loki snapped, angered that she asked for another's opinion.

Thor shook his head, as did Tony and Bruce.

"Sorry chickie, no dice, you're just going to have to sweat it out," Stark shrugged.

Lyanne accepted it without complaint as the others sat down to eat. She turned to her left to smile at Loki, but realized he was sitting further up the table, away from her, not making eye contact. He was solemn and barely touched his food as the others all filled Lyanne in about the past week.

"No more of the gems have been found, apparently," said Steve. "Odin's still keeping his protections around them but even he admits Amora's a powerful magician. Nothing is foolproof."

"So she has the green one and the purple one, right? What others are there?"

"Well, green is basically for enslaving people, mind and soul control, kind of like what Loki did two months ago with the Scumbag Scepter," said Tony, chuckling. Loki was unamused, but didn't react beyond taking another bite of vegetables. He was oddly calm. Tony continued.

"Next is the purple one, which I'll admit, really sucks to have lost. It can control teleportation, intergalactic warp, and even allows the rearrangement of space and parts of the universe."

Lyanne nodded, trying to pay close attention. Loki was smirking by this point, dabbing at his mouth with a napkin, a strange gleam in his eye.

"Now, those are just the ones that have been located - the other four are under Odin's protection, and he won't tell any of us where they are. Which, I don't blame him for, but still…" Tony sighed. "Imagine all that potential."

"Potential for people not as well-behaved as yourselves to use it, too," Lyanne pointed out. Tony conceded but Banner continued the explanation of the gems.

"The orange gem is kind of like a time machine, allowing the user to go to the past, present, or whenever, or even age themselves or others. If Rogers here wanted to go back to the 1940s, with the orange gem, he could."

Steve was quiet, contemplative. No doubt he was thinking of the potential of the gems himself; would he go back, or wouldn't he? His internal debate left him in silence. Clint cut in to break it, explaining the yellow gem.

"The yellow one is almost like a genie, but - it's a jewel. Any wish - riches, power, wealth, eighteen heads - all yours. Even if it's contradictory to science."

"Like eighteen heads," added Tony with a smirk. "The blue one is a bit tricky," he continued, shutting out Clint. "It's almost like a mind-reading gem. Not manipulative like the green one, mind you, but more like…" he strained to explain it.

"Like one of the most important keys to absolute supremacy," Loki interrupted quietly. Everyone looked his way, silent so that they could hear him. He smiled, cold, eerie. Lyanne felt the familiar shivers and wrapped her arms about herself. Loki continued.

"The blue gem allows access into the minds, thoughts, and even dreams of any living being. It can even create the ability to manipulate psionic energy, including telekinesis and mental telepathy. Now, imagine combining that, as well as the other four and the Gauntlet, with the red gem - the Power gem, the gem that can enhance any of the others, as well as make its user invincible. It taps into any and all of the energy in the universe that has been or ever will be. With all six gems at your disposal, all connected to the Infinity Gauntlet, you become the most powerful being in the entire universe. That is how you become a true God. Omnipotence."

Everyone was deathly silent as the information settled in. Loki seemed to know an awful lot about it, but Lyanne was curious as to why Thor had been so quiet.

"Thor?" she asked. He looked up at her, grim. "What do you know about them?"

"Only what Loki said. With all of the gems and the Gauntlet reassembled, anyone can become all-powerful."

"Why didn't your father use them?"

"He felt that nobody should have that kind of power. Not even himself."

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely," Tony offered in a low tone. Everyone nodded in assent.

Everyone except Loki, still wearing his wicked grin, his blue eyes sparkling. Lyanne caught his eye and he winked - it was not a benign one and she shivered again.

"So what do we do?" asked Steve. "Can we even get back to Earth without the purple gem?"

"Yes," said Thor. "Allfather can certainly muster enough energy to send us all back - but we need to find the Enchantress first, and bring her to justice."

"As you did me, brother?" said Loki softly, mockingly.

"I will be less merciful," he vowed.

"Oh, but your mercy is what makes you who you are, is it not? Why use the rod now and have spared it on me?"

"If you're offended and think that I shouldn't have shown mercy on you, you have a great many things to think over, Loki."

"Is she that much greater of a threat than I was?"

"What is this, a penis-showing contest? Who's got the bigger gun?" snapped Tony. "She's a threat, that's all we need to know. Thor, do we have any leads as to where she might have gone?"

"There's no telling where she might have gone with the purple gem," Thor said sadly. "She would be beyond even Allfather's crows or Heimdall's wide sight."

"I'd bet she's still in Asgard," said Loki. "I'd bet she even makes a reappearance."

"How do you know so much about this?" asked Tony in a slightly threatening tone. Loki snorted with a small laugh.

"You said that power corrupts - well, if she is as corrupted as I… _was_… her next moves should be fairly predictable. When she finds she is unable to discover the gems on her own, she will return for another strike, and a chance to rip the information from Allfather."

There was truth to his words, even if he did say them with his trademark evil grin.

"We'll trust you again, Loki," Natasha surprisingly chipped in.

_I just hope it's the right decision._


	24. I Would Change Nothing

Lyanne drummed her fingers against the hard golden table, staring out at the sun setting over the beautiful land of Asgard. Everything was vibrant and breathtaking; she could stare at it all day. She suddenly felt strong hands on her shoulders, the fingers massaging gently, hot breath in her ear.

"Hello, Loki," she said, not turning around. In return, she felt his lips press against her cheek softly before he sat beside her on the bench. He stared at her, his hands between his knees, a smile on his face as usual. She looked back out the window, watching a rather unique-looking blue bird scavenging for crumbs along the balcony.

"Has the bird bitten your tongue?" he asked. "You're very quiet."

"I'm worried."

She was blatant, to-the-point, as she usually was when she was angry and upset at something, Loki had noticed. He huffed and indulged her.

"Why?"

"You seem to know an awful lot about those gems," she said.

"Of course I do. I heard about them non-stop as a child, as I did with all of the relics. Thor could have told you the same information."

"I guess it was just the way you said it - supreme power, omnipotence?" She finally turned to look at him. "You sounded like you were in love with the idea," she accused. Loki scoffed, laughing.

"It was my goal at one time," he said. "Old habits die hard, I suppose."

"Loki, you're not going to try to track them down yourself, are you?"

"It would be impossible to do it by myself."

Lyanne scanned his face for even a hint of deceit, but as usual, could read nothing upon his face other than amusement.

"How would one go about looking for them?" she asked, tracing one of her hands gently down one of Loki's.

"The gems are drawn to power," he said. "A display of it near a gem would likely set it off."

"Set it off?"

"As in cause it to demonstrate a portion - a small portion, mind you - of it's abilities."

"So, for instance, if I were to turn into my - _other self_ - or you were to use magic around it - something like the purple gem would teleport us?"

"Yes and no - it would have to be a rather _large_ demonstration of power."

"Like what happened when I fought Amora?"

"Yes," he breathed.

She looked back up into his blue eyes, which, as usual, betrayed nothing.

"And something like the purple gem would likely just appear in the powerful being's hand, not immediately teleport them somewhere," he continued. "The red gem would likely create a small explosion, or the blue one reveal itself through images in your head."

"Oh," was all she could say.

"Forget them for now, Li," he said, kissing her hand, then her forehead. Then he clutched her hair in his hand and leaned in, kissing her deeply, his hot tongue in her mouth almost instantly. He liked kissing like that - Lyanne wasn't sure if it was the intimacy of it or the _intrusiveness_ of it that appealed to him, but she loved it and whimpered softly, wrapping her arms about him. He broke away too quickly and she sighed, laying her head on his chest.

_If everything I went through was necessary to lead to this, I would change none of it._


	25. Back to Earth

"We've got a lock on her," Tony announced gleefully.

Everyone listened intently, watching Stark and Odin with bated breath.

"It has come to my attention that the blue gem is threatened," the Allfather stated.

"Where is it?" Thor asked, clenching his fists, grasping the handle of Mjolnir tightly. "Where is _she?"_

"The blue gem was kept hidden in the realm of Earth," he said. "I had left it with a brilliant man in what you refer to as, 'Upstate New York.' He claims that, unable to hide it at his residence due to the gem being triggered on an hourly basis, he was transporting it to a safer location when the Enchantress Amora accosted him and stole it."

"How do we know where she is, then?" interrupted Natasha.

"Odin used his crows to watch the area - while she hasn't been found, they were able to catch glimpses of odd human behavior," explained Bruce.

"What kind of odd behavior?" asked Lyanne.

"The kind that means they're being mind controlled," Tony said. "She's obviously using the green and blue ones in conjunction."

When most everyone still looked a little confused, Tony elaborated further.

"People are full-on rioting, apparently. Mass mobs of people all of a sudden committing arson, burglary, assault - together - unannounced. None of them respond to any form of communication, verbal or physical - they're like zombies. And those that _do_ try to stop them - well, they end up joining them. Sounds like mind control to me."

"What can we do to stop it?" asked Steve. "Amora has the purple gem, I'm not sure Odin has the strength to send _all_ of us back."

"I do if Loki helps me," said Odin.

Loki raised his eyebrows and leaned back in surprise.

"We can send all of them back?" he asked incredulously. "What about me?"

"I will reserve enough strength to send you, after everyone else has gone through."

Loki appeared to think for a moment, but nodded.

"When?"

"Whenever you are all ready."

"We'll go immediately," Thor nearly shouted, raising his hammer.

"We'll go in pairs," Tony advised. "After we suit up."

"What about the others?" asked Lyanne. "Hogun, Volstagg, Fandral and Sif? Aren't they coming, too?"

"We need them here to help protect us," Odin replied. "After I teleport you to Earth, I will need to enter the Odinsleep and Asgard will be vulnerable. Once they are there, there will be no way to return until I awaken, as barriers will be placed to block any who wish to come or go, for Asgard's protection. If the barriers were to fall, there would be no way to communicate this, and the loss of some of our best warriors could mean the difference between success and failure. Even if you manage to locate the purple gem, it could be too late. I have every faith that you will succeed without them."

Everyone nodded in acceptance and left to change back into their uniforms. Lyanne stayed behind, still in the Asgardian clothing she had been given, as Bruce paced nervously a few feet away, not needing a suit either. Loki and Thor were conferring with their father, their armor magically appearing as they discussed their tactics. After a few minutes they began to line up for their teleportation back to Earth. Natasha and Clint were to be first. Loki stood alongside Odin, and together, they concentrated their energy, teleporting the two agents in an instant. Next came Steve and Bruce, who took a little bit longer than the previous two. When they were gone, Odin leaned over, gasping, clutching his side. Loki was sweating, but oddly enough, otherwise fine. It took an incredible amount of energy for Odin to work the spell; why was Loki so calm? Lyanne wondered if it was because he was so much younger. Certainly his powers couldn't be stronger than the Allfather's - everyone said so. Her line of thought was interrupted by Tony and Thor stepping up to be transported next. Loki smirked, concentrating, as Odin righted himself and combined their powers. The duo was gone in an instant, leaving only Odin, Loki and Lyanne behind. Loki began concentrating on her, his hands extended, sweat running down his face. She felt the same nauseous, dizzying sensations as the first time she teleported, then the familiar unbalance after she landed. She felt strong hands grasp her underneath her arms, lifting her up, her legs still awkward and basically useless. Bruce held her so that she was cradled against him, her feet dangling at his side.

"You ok?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, wiping her forehead. It was dusk, but still sticky, hot and uncomfortable. Lyanne took in her surroundings. The area was populated by tall, strong deciduous trees and evergreens, the air thick with the smell of soil and foliage. There were no other people in sight save for the other Avengers, who smiled and waved at her, but this was obviously on purpose. The less people around, the less risky their mission. A sudden blast of violet light burst through the sky, burning the ground, leaving a smoking hole and a smirking Loki.

"I still have to get used to that," he said. He stood and reached to grab Lyanne from Bruce's arms, but he hesitated to hand her over. Loki scowled at him.

"What's the meaning of this?" he asked.

"Thought your arms were getting tired," said Bruce non-confrontationally.

"Well they aren't," he said in a low voice, reaching out his arms. Bruce reluctantly handed her over. Lyanne was at a loss for words - _what just happened?_ - but said nothing and instead, wrapped an arm around Loki for support and hobbled along as they began walking towards a road in the distance.

"Loki," she tried, "What -"

"Not now," he snapped.

"Where are we going?" asked Clint. "There's nothing distinguishable around here except for the road."

"I'll fix that," Tony said, closing the faceplate on his helmet and blasting up into the air.

"No, you idiot!" shouted Natasha. "You'll reveal our location!"

"Like the giant bolts of light that teleported us here wouldn't have already?" remarked Steve. Natasha rolled her eyes.

"We're trying to walk away from the giant signals that say, 'Hey, here we are!,' not have a flying target jetting through the sky."

"But the advantage-"

"Ugh, just stop," interrupted Clint. "There's no arguing with her."

Natasha shot him a nasty look, but he smiled and she shoved him playfully. Tony landed back down in front of them, lifting his faceplate.

"Nothing much besides the road and a mansion in the middle of nowhere, but if we head East it'll lead us towards a city."

"Heavily populated?" Bruce asked with concern.

"You'd think so," Tony said slowly, "But I don't think this is a typical population." His tone was heavy - they were right in the area they were looking for. But where was Amora? They continued in their path to the road, heading right and towards the city.


	26. Last Battle, Loki's Reveal

Lyanne was nearly panting after only a half a mile. Her legs were dead weight and she could barely function them still. Tony had gone ahead in his suit to find a car and bring it back so they could drive to the city, but so far it had been 10 minutes and he had not returned. Loki called for a stop and set her down against a guardrail, straightening himself and stretching.

"I'm sorry," she said. "At this point I can't be of any possible help. You're going to have to leave without me."

Loki laughed in her face.

"Oh, please."

"What?" she snapped, angered. "How can a pathetic _cripple_ like me possibly be of use at this point?"

"If we find Amora and the blue gem, I can use it's power to heal your legs much faster."

"Huh? I thought it was used to read people's minds?"

"Yes," he said slowly, irritated he had to explain it again. _"As well as_ give the user the ability of telekinesis. I can use that force with my magic to bring your legs out of their temporary atrophy."

"I'm still not sure I get how that works," she mumbled.

"I'm not surprised," he laughed, patting her head condescendingly. She slapped him away and he grinned, looking down the road and listening for Tony. Something was still bothering Lyanne.

"Loki," she said quietly, so the others wouldn't hear, "You said she'd still be in Asgard."

He ignored her, putting his hands on his hips and continuing to watch the road.

"LOKI!" she snapped. Several of the others turned around.

"_What?"_ he hissed.

"Tell me why!" she demanded in a low tone. "I need to know I can trust you," she said softly, taking his hand gently in her own.

"All in due time," he said.

"That's not good enough."

"Not my problem," he said, snatching his arm away and walking down towards the others.

Lyanne felt a low growl emanate from within her; her muscles tensed and she began to shake. _Not now,_ she thought, trying to shove the transformation away. Sometimes when she didn't change for an extended period of time, it happened unexpectedly, and that was when she was at her most dangerous - when she didn't have control over it. _That's when I destroyed the town,_ she thought. _I'll just hold off until we find Amora. I'll be fine again in no time._

Loki returned to her, hands clasped in front of him, head down.

"We're going to keep walking," he said. "Are you prepared?"

Lyanne nodded, stretching her arms and massaging her legs.

"No, no," Loki said. "Here."

He turned his back to her and knelt down.

"Hop on," he said with a smirk, mimicking the night he had ridden on her like she was a horse into battle.

"Are you _jesting _with me?" she mocked back, feeling more at ease now that he seemed to be less angry. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and neck, and he grasped her limp legs and wrapped them around his hips, his hands resting under her knees to support her. She kissed his cheek roughly, squeezing him, then laid her head on his right shoulder. Loki continued walking down the road with the others, but it was not long before they heard the noise of an approaching vehicle. It sounded large. They all tensed, hands flying to their various weapons or fists clenching in preparation for a battle - but the SUV rounded a corner and came to a stop right next to them, the window slowly rolling down - and Tony Stark stuck his head out.

"Guess who I contacted?"

They all looked into the SUV driver's side to see a very tired, haggard-looking Nick Fury behind the wheel.

"Get in," he said stiffly, "Now."

Tony looked at Lyanne and Loki and smirked.

"Since when does Silver ride the Lone Ranger?"

"Oh shut up," she scoffed.

They all piled in quickly and Nick slammed the accelerator, launching them all towards the city.

"What, no airship?" asked Bruce, laughing awkwardly.

"Overkill," Steve said.

"Not where the Enchantress is concerned," corrected Tony. "Why _didn't_ you bring a jet or something?"

"Not enough time," Fury said. "Lucky for you I was in the area… more or less."

"Doing what?"

"Scoping the mansion where the gem was hidden. I have to say it's a pretty nice pad - full of exceptional people. I'd like to recruit there if we find the time."

"If," emphasized Tony. It was almost dark already.

They drove for several minutes in silence until they crested a hill and the city opened below them in a massive net of bright lights. Clint leaned forward, inspecting the layout.

"What do your elf-eyes see?" joked Tony.

"Nothing much of importance yet," Clint replied. "There's still electricity, that's hopeful."

"Not very," Tony muttered.

When they finally reached their destination and exited the car, it was to find the streets abandoned. An eerie calm had settled over everything; although the power was still on, including stoplights, billboards, businesses and office buildings, it was as if everyone had simply vanished.

"I don't like the looks of this," Steve muttered. "Banner?"

Bruce immediately began to transform into the Hulk, his green muscles bulging, tearing his shirt away. Lyanne rode upon Loki's back once more, shifting as best as she could to accommodate his reappearing armor. Thor's armor magically appeared as well, his and his brother's glinting a sickly orange from the streetlamps. Tony put his faceplate down, Natasha put her hands on her guns, Clint notched an arrow and Steve held his shield in front of him. Fury held a gun up in one hand, motioning for everyone to be quiet with the other. They were -

Until the SUV exploded in a blaze of fire and sparks.

Everyone threw themselves down onto the ground, covering their heads with their arms to avoid getting burnt by the fiery debris raining down. Lyanne tumbled off Loki's back and into the gutter.

_Figures,_ she thought. _Right back where I started from._ There was not much time for reflection, however; another car left abandoned on the street burst apart, a hot piece of metal driving itself into the pavement only inches from Lyanne's right hand.

"It's Amora!" Loki yelled. "Thor!"

Thor immediately lifted his hammer into the air, lightning crashing down around them all, illuminating the streets and rooftops - and suddenly, there she was, beautiful gold hair flowing in the night, her eyes ablaze, her armor as bright and flickering as fire.

"So good of you to come," she laughed, a ridiculing lilt to her voice.

"Give up the gems and we'll spare your life," said Thor.

"So much for not being merciful," Loki sneered.

"Not now," Tony warned.

"Still fighting amongst yourselves?" Amora giggled coldly. "How childish!"

Loki suddenly threw a blast of light towards her. It connected, but she was prepared and caught it with something glinting in her hand. It was blue, no bigger than a golf ball, sparkling…

"The gem!" Clint cried.

Amora redirected the energy blast back at them all. Steve held his shield up to deflect it with success, but he was thrown backwards onto the ground. Thor directed more lightning, but his attempt was flouted the same way, with his own powers shot directly back at him.

"Fools!" she cried. "Obey me!"

She brought out the green gem, held it up, and a strange, misshapen energy began to flow from it. Loki concentrated and placed a shield around them all, his muscles strained underneath his armor, his teeth clenched. Everyone grasped their heads in pain, shaking, but the barrier held and Amora was forced to stop.

"Learn a few more tricks?" she sneered, jumping down from the rooftop to stare Loki in the face. The barrier vanished when she placed the green gem back into the folds of her armor.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know," he sneered back.

"Just like I'm sure you'd like to know how I got here."

"That's true; I thought for sure you'd be stranded on Asgard."

"Looks like I know more magic than you give me credit for, Trickster."

"I gave you too much, actually. I thought you'd be much smarter. Pity."

The Enchantress froze in front of him, tossing her hair back behind her. The Avengers all stood, weapons at the ready - except Lyanne, who was still sitting useless on the ground. Amora saw her and smirked.

"Whose magic spared her life?"

"Odin's," Loki replied.

"Charming. I suppose you enjoyed nursing her back to health? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize the whelp was crippled." She laughed, her hand over her heart. "Oh Loki, you fool."

"Whatever you say, bitch," he snarled, laughing, his voice breathy.

She whipped her head back around to him, scowling, but with a cold, lingering smile still on her face. Loki grinned back mischievously.

"I could heal her, you know," she offered.

"Just like last time?"

Amora's smile flew away from her face instantly.

"You cheated me," she spat. "She didn't deserve the mercy of my talents."

"You didn't know better at the time - you cheated me first. Your punishment was well deserved. It turns out I do know how to spot a liar, after all."

She reached to slap him, but he caught her hand and twisted her around, reaching into her armor for the Soul Gems. She tried to squirm away, but Loki held her tight. She brought a hand up to grasp for them, but Loki reached first and extracted them, throwing her to the ground and kicking at her face.

"That was too easy," he said. He lifted them up, holding them in the light - and they shattered in his grasp. "Learn a new trick," he said, scattering the fragments of the fakes to the ground like crumbs.

Amora smirked, righting herself. Lyanne looked back to them all - the Avengers were frozen, but at the ready - _not moving_. Loki noticed this as well.

"Using the blue gem for paralyzation? That's a good one."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere," she said.

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Good."

They stood facing each other for what seemed like eternity before the Enchantress glanced over at Lyanne.

"Truthfully, now - give me what I want and I shall heal her."

"Heal her first as a show of good faith."

"I'm not stupid," she spat.

"Could have fooled me."

The air was almost electric with their venomous remarks. Lyanne tried to transform, but found herself paralyzed, as well. _At least I know the rest of the team can see this too,_ she thought.

Suddenly Loki lunged for her, conjuring his spear from thin air and slicing her across the face, blood pouring into her right eye. She shrieked and brought her palm up to shoot magic at him, but he deftly maneuvered away. Amora brought the blue gem back out from her armor, squeezing it tightly, blue energy forming around her hand. Loki spun around and, taking advantage of her blind spot, brought his spear down upon her wrist. There was a sickening _snap_ as the bones in her wrist broke and her hand dangled uselessly at the end of her arm. The blue gem clattered to the ground, Loki snatched it, released them all from the spell, and stood in front of her, waiting with a devilish grin. Amora screamed and hot, fiery magic erupted around her, licking out like the claws of a bird to grasp them in flames. Loki brought a barrier of telekinetic energy up with the gem, slamming it back towards the Enchantress and tossing her back like a limp doll. Concentrating further, a blue jet of light shot from the gem, straight at Amora, hitting her and stunning her before she could right herself again. She was kneeling, caught in whatever psychic spell Loki had put on her using the blue jewel, shaking and drooling.

"Get the other one," Loki said triumphantly. "But watch you don't touch the light."

Thor complied with a nod, reaching in to Amora's armor and extracting the green gem. He brought it back and Loki used his free hand to rip it from his grasp, inspecting it. Thor tensed at first, sensing something, but Loki immediately threw energy from the green gem against Amora, assaulting her mind once more. He stopped both of his attacks and she merely lay there, twitching, her eyes rolling in her head and foam collecting at the corners of her mouth. Then he turned to Lyanne and, before she could do anything, bathed her in energy from the sapphire in his palm. She tried to scream but couldn't, completely trapped and helpless - until she felt a sensation of warmth and tingling in her legs. He was fixing her injury, as promised. She lay still as he finished, and, once the light had receded, she opened her eyes and began to right herself. He walked forward to support her as she teetered unsteadily, but she shooed him away and stood, the blood rushing back into her muscles, a sense of power coming back to her at last.

"Oh, thank you, Loki," she whispered, throwing herself against him and kissing him deeply. Her embrace was not fully returned, however; the rest of the Avengers were slowly advancing on them, menace in their eyes.

"What are you doing?" she cried.

"What did Amora mean when she said you cheated her?" Tony asked darkly.

Loki put on his most charming smile and shook his head.

"You don't trust me very much, do you?" he laughed.

"No. I should have known better than to trust you," Tony seethed, clenching his fists within his armor. The rest of the team readied their weapons.

"Loki, what…"

Then suddenly it all fit. The way Odin was exhausted after using his magic to teleport them but Loki was not, the violet beam of light he transported on, Amora's anger.

"Loki, what did you do?" she asked, horrified. He grinned malevolently and looked into her eyes.

"What anyone with even one brain cell left in their heads would do," he laughed, reaching into his leather coat and extracting something concealed within his fist. When he opened it, Lyanne saw the purple Soul Gem contained therein.

"I thought you gave that to Amora to save my life," she nearly whispered.

"I gave her a fake," he sneered, clearly upset she would question his logic.

"You risked my life because you didn't want to part with that?"

"No, your life wasn't at stake because of the gem."

"Yes it was! You gave her a fake and chanced her realizing it _right there,_ risking any possibility I had she was going to heal me!"

"NO," he shouted, beyond his usual anger. "YOU'RE WRONG. Do you even listen to yourself? She didn't even know it was a fake at the time and she _still_ left you to die! The results would have been the same had I given her the real one or not!"

"But… but…," she tried to stammer, but Loki cut her off.

"Just shut up and _whimper_ while I fix everything. That's about the only thing you're good at," he finished cruelly.

He turned his back on her, placing the three jewels back into his armor, keeping a wary eye on the Avengers, when suddenly he heard a snarl behind him. He grinned and shook his head.

"Oh, Li, Li, Li - you plan to figh -" he tried, but was cut off by her claws around his neck. He reached up to yank her hands away, but she squeezed harder and his windpipe closed completely. He struggled, trying to gasp but getting nothing, her muzzle wrinkling, baring her sharp fangs. She had lost control of herself - it was plain in her eyes, narrowed to feral slits, her claws digging into his flesh. She roared and threw him against a building, cracking the bricks and sending him tumbling down to the ground. He jumped up, his spear at the ready, clenching his fist around it and scowling at her. The Avengers made a move to intervene, but Fury held them back.

"Stay out of this one," he warned. "Lovers' quarrel."

Loki laughed and blasted magic back at Lyanne. She maneuvered around it, then launched herself back at him, clawing desperately at his armor. He reached up and clutched her neck in his hands, but didn't squeeze.

"Idiot!" he shouted. "I don't want to hurt you!"

She roared in response, kicking him in the stomach and winding him. He dropped her, doubling over and leaning back against the wall. She lunged at him again, but he leapt away and she slammed into the building, sending more cracks up the side, the bricks tumbling down and the foundation beginning to crack. She glanced up at it, a stone beam falling down through the air at her. Loki threw himself against her, knocking her down onto the ground and pinning her there. The stone shattered on the ground, pieces of the stone flying across her face. Loki put his knees on her arms so that she couldn't fight. She tried to squirm away, baring her teeth, snarling, her claws digging at the pavement and her long hair tangling around her shoulders as she thrashed hopelessly. Loki grabbed the three jewels back from his armor and held them against Lyanne's chest, using both his and her energy and power. The Avengers lunged at him before Fury could hold them back, but suddenly a burst of light threw them away, a magical barrier forming around Loki as he stood, impenetrable unless he were to allow it. He had backed away from Lyanne, who was panting and reverting back to her normal state on the pavement outside the magic dome. She righted herself, crying.

"You monster!" she shrieked. "How could you?"

Loki shook his head, not smiling for once. The energy was building around him stronger and stronger, swirling dangerously and heating Lyanne's bare arms. She bowed her head, weeping uncontrollably, _weak._

"I love you, Loki," she sobbed. "And you betrayed me."

"I love you, Lyanne," he said. She looked up quickly, anger boiling in her eyes.

"How could you say that now?" she screamed, straining to be heard over the cacophony of the ever-building magic.

"Don't you see? What I did, I did for _us._ Aren't you tired of living in a world where everyone will hate you because of what you are? Whose parents abandoned her because they cared more about their money and petty squabbles than they did their own daughter? Where your legacy is nothing more to them than the sad tale of a girl who wasted her life and then turned into a monstrosity? How she leveled a town and now no matter what she does, she can never pay it back? Aren't you tired of seeking redemption from those who withhold it from you and leave you powerless over your own life? TELL ME!"

Lyanne shook her head, beginning to back away.

"Come with me," he shouted. "Come with me and help me build a world where no one will ever call you a monster again."

She turned back to the Avengers team, glancing at them.

"They accept me," she said.

"Only because you are useful," he said sadly. "The same reason I was tolerated."

She turned back and looked into his face. It was no longer the unreadable, stoic mask it usually was; now all Lyanne saw was bare honesty, determined fervor, passion.

"Come with me," he whispered, extending his hand. "And know the joy of never having to bow to anyone _ever again."_

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Lyanne stepped forward and reached through the barrier safely to grasp Loki's hand. Before the team could protest, the pair was gone in an instant, a flash of purple light exploding in the darkness. Then, calm, quiet. They all stood, dazed, the afterimage of the magical teleportation still burning in their eyes. Tony suddenly screamed and threw his arms onto the hood of a car, smashing it in. Clint and Natasha wrapped their arms around each other unsurely, and Hulk quietly grasped the Enchantress by the ankles. She was still weak and powerless, shaking. Fury looked at her with disgust.

"Let's go," he said.


	27. Whatever Will Be, Will Be

"Where to, Loki?" Lyanne asked gently, stroking his hair.

"To find the other gems, of course," he replied with a smile.

They were standing together, hand-in-hand on some lush planet in a place Lyanne neither recognized nor cared about. Loki wrapped his arms about her, kissing her deeply, and she returned with equal passion, her heart light, having finally discovered her purpose.

_Whatever will be, will be._


	28. Author's Note and Thanks

Thank you so much for reading this fan fiction! I worked very hard to keep the characters true and to be entertaining… I hope I succeeded and that you enjoyed it! If so, I'm so very glad you did, and deeply appreciative of all the hard work _you_ put in to reading it!

I tried my best to make a plausible setup for either Thor 2 or The Avengers 2, though of course Lyanne will not be in there.

*I wish!*

I'd love to make a sequel but I'm afraid that won't be for quite some time, though I have an idea for one. In any case, you're just stuck reading this one over again, if you have the patience, or one of the many, many other wonderful fics up on the site!

If you're interested in any kind of clarification, think I screwed something up, etc., feel free to message me.

Just as an added bonus, here are a few songs I found inspiring as I wrote this… enjoy!

Loki's Theme : _Poison_, by The Prodigy  
*Note - This was Tom Hiddleston's personal choice for a theme song for everyone's favorite God of Mischief. I found it accurate and very, very cool.

Lyanne's Theme : _Run With the Wolves,_ by The Prodigy

Randoms :

_Violin Romance,_ composed by Patrick Doyle, from the As You Like It soundtrack  
*Note - Something I could imagine being a theme for Loki and Lyanne

_The Traitor_, by Sea Wolf

_Somewhere I Belong,_ by Linkin Park

_King Without a Crown, _by Matisyahu

_You Are the Moon,_ by The Hush Sound

_Dance With Me Tonight, _by Olly Murs  
*Note - This song is on UK iTunes, but not US - Amazon also has it, in case you wanted to listen to it

_You're So Gangsta (Playgroup Remix),_ by Chromeo  
*Note - The _Playgroup Remix_ version is the one with lyrics, others are inaccurate (and irritating)

_People Say,_ by Portugal the Man

_Staring at the Sun,_ by TV on the Radio

_Unnecessary Trouble,_ by Hard-FI

_Run This City,_ by Jet Lag Gemini

_People are Strange,_ by The Doors

_I'll Fly With You [L'Amour Toujours],_ by Gigi d'Agostino

Once again, thank you SO MUCH for reading this fiction, I hope dearly that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Your support has meant all the difference and I don't think I could have finished it without knowing my readers found it entertaining. Thank you again!


	29. UPDATE

* UPDATE! *

I didn't think I was going to do it, and promised myself a long writing break, but I guess I just hate myself.

Part 2 of Monster has been started, and a few chapters are going to be posted soon.

I don't believe I will be able to update as often as this one, but I hope you're able to enjoy it anyway.

Thank you for all your support, follows, favorites and reviews - nothing brightens my day quite like seeing those notifications in my inbox, and it's both touching and humbling to know that there are people who think that my writing is good enough to spend time reading. It really is an awesome feeling, and I want to express to you how much it truly means to have such incredible fans. Thank you!


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